The Vongola Throne
by gingeringfigs
Summary: If Sawada Tsunayoshi hadn't met Reborn, he would not have become the man he rightfully ought to be, the Don Vongola Decimo. The throne usurped and the Sky Ring weighing heavily in his pocket, Reborn begins a long and arduous journey. Arrivederci!
1. A Snuffed Candelight

**Title:** A Snuffed Candlelight

**Author: **Ofphenwa

**Summary:** Reborn was not sent to Japan to tutor Tsuna 10 years ago. Now, with an usurper in the Vongola throne and with the Sky Ring in his pocket, Reborn journeys to Japan to Tsuna and helps him to fulfill his true destiny.

**A/N:** This is a revamped edit of "The Vongola Throne".

* * *

**A Snuffed Candlelight**

Deep within the huge Vongola mansion, there was a small dark room with only the light of a single candle for illumination. There was a bed and on it, a wizened old man lay, his laboured breath rattling through his chest. His eyes were dim with sorrow and regret. A quiet click of the door latch alerted the elderly man to the presence of another. It was not a human being, but an _Acrobaleno_. He whispered, "I fear that I will not live through this night...I have a final command, will you obey for the last time?"

"Yes." A steadfast reply reassured him. Summoning the last vestiges of his dying strength with a sigh, he sat up and pointed at the envelope on the bedside table.

"Take this with you and travel to Japan. Find the true heir to the Vongola throne and train him so he will be just, fair and gentle. Do this mission with utmost secrecy and caution...for the _Varia_ have eyes and ears everywhere." He breathed deeply as he watched a gloved hand reach out from the shadows and delicately plucked the cream envelope from the table. Both the hand and envelope vanished back into the deep shadows.

"One last thing. Come here." The Acrobaleno moved forward and knelt beside his bed. The old man stretched out his gnarled hands and placed them on his shoulders. Intense heat flooded the Acrobaleno as the old man's eyes lit up with the remnants of his Dying Will. The sacred knowledge and power of the 9th Vongola flowed into him and along with it a flash of an innocent child's smile. Then the 9th Vongola's will was done. The old man's head gently dipped forward until his chin met his chest and his eyes slowly shut. He was smiling.

"Don Vongola..." The Acrobaleno touched the cooling hand of the greatest man he'd known and briefly touched the ring he wore with his lips; a final tribute. He gently removed the ring and kept it in a small box; the upsurper would not find out till it was too late. As the door shut behind him, the solitary candelight flickered out, casting the whole room into the darkest shadows.

* * *

Sawada Tsunayoshi, informally known as Tsuna, was a perfectly ordinary young man. He had a dull job in administrative section of some small company. His pay was sufficient and he had a nice little flat with a fantastic view of the Tokyo Bay. Every weekend, he would religiously go and visit his mother in Namimori for lunch. All in all, he would say that he led a decent life even if it was a bit boring…

That Monday morning was overcast with grey clouds. Sipping from a styrofoam cup of hot coffee, Tsuna hurried past the bustling traffic onto the train. He elbowed his way through the crowd with muttered apologies and finally spotted a free seat in the center of the train-car. Strangely, no one seemed to see it nor made any attempt to claim it as Tsuna briskly walked over to the seat.

"Strange...There wouldn't be any free seats at all by the time I got on the train." He mused. But he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. Tsuna leant back, closing his eyes for a few moments of rest. Unfortunately, his wish wasn't going to be granted any time soon.

"_Mi scusi._" A foreign voice spoke. It was deep and commanding. Tsuna unconsciously straightened up as he looked up at the stranger standing before him. He didn't see anyone.

"Look down here." Tsuna blinked as he turned his head down. He was...younger than his voice made him out to be. The stranger was actually a smartly dressed ten-year old kid. The wide brim of the black fedora hat blocked his view of the boy's face. He was almost tempted to reach out and flick the ridiculously large hat off but something about him warned him not to do so at his risk. For a few seconds he stared before Tsuna finally replied, "Yes?"

"You are Sawada Tsunayoshi, aren't you?" It was very clearly a rhetorical question when the Boy looked up and into his eyes as he firmly spoke. His obsidian eyes were steady and his confident adult smirk wasn't out of place on his childish handsome face as he introduced himself.

"Well met, 10th Don Vongola. I am Reborn." Before Tsuna could react, Reborn had clambered up onto his lap and sat down heavily.

"_...Hey!_ You're _heavy_!" Tsuna was winded by the weight of the tiny boy. He was heavier than he should be! He tried to push him off his lap but Reborn. Just. Would. Not. Move. If anything else, that little _brat_ actually seemed to get heavier and heavier until Tsuna finally couldn't take the load. He gave up and knocked his head back on the plastic wall behind him with a noisy exhalation. He sarcastically said, "Oh fine, you can use my lap as a seat."

_"Grazie mille."_ Reborn was smugly smirking at him. Just then, the announcement for his stop came on, _"Shin-Nihombashi Stop."_

"That's my stop. Can you please get off my lap so I can disembark?" Tsuna politely asked. Reborn simply looked at him and slowly shook his head.

"Seriously, I HAVE to go to work and I can't do that if you're on my lap!" Tsuna attempted to push him off again but his wrist was caught in the surprisingly strong grasp of the boy before his fingertips even grazed his clothes. He bit off a curse as the grip grew tighter around his wrist; any tighter, he would be getting a bruise bracelet. Reborn moved in closer until their noses were almost touching. He furiously whispered, "An assassin is waiting for you at this station. You cannot leave now."

"What assassin? I think you've been watching too many cartoons."

"_Maledizione! _I am not joking! Do you see that man in a black suit over by the pillar? He carries a gun with a silencer. Your death would not be noticed in this morning crowd till someone notices something amiss."

Tsuna looked carefully in the direction Reborn indicated. He didn't see the person. Annoyed, he replied, "Well, I don't see anyone you described just now."

But Reborn wasn't listening.

_"Cazzo!"_ Reborn slid off Tsuna's lap and pulled him out of his seat and briskly walked past the doors that slid shut the next moment. _("...ellow line. Doors closing. Please stand away...") _Relieved that he wouldn't be late for work, Tsuna started walking away...until Reborn jerked him back and walked in the opposite direction of where his office was.

"HEY! My job's THAT way!" Try as he might, he simply could not escape from Reborn's grip. It was most alarming and embarrassing for a twenty-one year old adult to be dragged around like a toy by a kid less than half his size. Reborn simply walked faster until they were almost running. Reborn muttered, "Don't look back or you'll alert him."

In reflex, Tsuna did the opposite and saw a man in a black suit with a suspicious bulge under his arm. As if aware of his gaze, the man looked in their direction and started running. He put his hand under his jacket and the glint of metal informed Tsuna that yes, it was a very dangerous GUN he was holding.

"...Holy shit."

That was all he could think of as he started running with Reborn in earnest. Reborn glanced at his panicked expression with exasperation and said, "You looked back, didn't you?"

"How the _hell_ was i supposed to know that you were telling the TRUTH? And what was up with calling me the 10th Don Vongola? How do you know my name? And why is there a MAN with a GUN after ME?" Tsuna ranted in horror.

"I can't answer that now." Reborn curtly replied and led them out into the streets above the train station and started weaving through the crowd. Reborn cast a quick look into the reflection on the windows of the shops and saw that the assassin was still trailing them. He glanced around, taking in his surroundings of bright neon signboards, the tall buildings and the flow of the crowd.

_"Ah...there."_ He finally made a decision. He pulled Tsuna into an empty alley.

Seeing his target move into the alley with a small kid, the assassin sped up and turned round the corner with his gun out in hopes of catching them in a dead-end. The end of the alley was a dead-end alright. But his target was gone.

"Where did the-"

_*Pop*_

A small red dot appeared in between his eyes. Startled, he reached up to feel his forehead and his hand came away with blood. In the next moment, the back of his head exploded in a gory shower of brains and blood. The assassin fell forward onto his knees with a small thump, a shocked expression still pasted on his face and he crumpled onto the dirty ground. His gun skidded away from him with a metallic screech. No one else could be seen...until a few seconds later.

The air in front of the fallen corpse rippled. Reborn pointed his gun that still had smoke trailing from the tip at the dead enemy before him. Behind him, Tsuna had fallen backward and was ashen with nausea and shock at the ruthless deed performed by a young _child,_ no less!

"My god. Who, what are you?" Tsuna questioned as he watched the blood drain from the body in front of him with morbid fascination. _(Who would have thought that a human could bleed so much?)_ Reborn locked the safety of his gun and placed it back into his jacket. Grimly, he turned around to face his charge and asked, "...Do you know of a safe place where I can answer your questions?"

**_Fin_**

* * *

Glossary

_Mi scusi_ - excuse me

_Grazie Mille_ - Thank you very much.

_Maledizione_ - Damn it

_Cazzo_ - fuck


	2. A Dialogue

**Title:** A Dialogue

**Author: **Ofphenwa

**Summary: **Reborn and Tsuna have a talk.

**A/N:** Nothing much of note.

* * *

**A Dialogue**

After that mad escapade, Tsuna felt rather out of his depth as he led the strange child assassin to a small sushi bar. It was located away from the busy district of Ginza and the food was decent at a cheap price. Once there, Reborn immediately took the lead and chose a single table near the back exit of the restaurant. It also provided an uninterrupted view of the entrance. Tsuna sat down with a shaky sigh. In the last half hour, he'd just been hounded after by an assassin and saw him being expertly killed by the child in front of him.

Reborn had taken off his hat and set it aside; allowing Tsuna to observe him. Jet black hair dangerously spiked up in the back with two large curls near his high cheekbones, a foreign face that still had baby fat making him appear deceptively angelic and tired obsidian eyes that looked back at him with intense scrutiny.

"Would you like green tea, sir?", a petite waitress with dyed brown hair asked, breaking the unlikely duo's examination of each other. Tsuna was about to reply when Reborn smoothly cut in, "Yes, please. May I have a look at the menu as well? Thank you."

Reborn smiled at the waitress who tittered and vanished into the crowd with his orders. Tsuna incredulously watched. Within a few minutes, the waitress was already back with two cups of steaming hot green tea and two menu cards. Before she left to serve other customers, she bent down to conspirationally whisper into Tsuna's ear, "Your son's so polite and cute! Teehee!"

And away she went, in a flutter of kimono fabric. Tsuna's jaw dropped. There was a moment of silence as Reborn contentedly sipped at his green tea and perused through the menu while Tsuna struggled to put everything together into a coherent, organized affair. It was downright surreal, from being an accomplice to first degree murder and to the mistaken father of the same murderer sitting in front of him drinking tea. And it was his money too!

"You're looking a bit peaky. Have some tea, it'll calm you down." Reborn advised. "Hmm, _maguro_ sushi sounds good."

Tsuna breathed heavily and started to vent his confused emotions and thoughts. He couldn't believe the cheek and nerve of that...that _monster_!

"I've had enough! You said you would answer my questions and I haven't gotten them yet! Who are you and why do you call me 10th Don Vongola? I presume that it must be related to ithat/i. How did you manage to make us invisible?" Tsuna flapped his hand in the general direction of where they'd left the body hidden in the trash bins.

Reborn glanced up from the menu for a brief moment. He returned his gaze to the menu and quietly replied, "All in due time. You'll be better able to comprehend what I'm going to tell you if you have something to eat and drink. Can you recommend any good dishes?"

Thrown off his train of thought by Reborn's question, Tsuna's jaw worked for a while before he sullenly answered, "Well, the special pork-belly yakitori's pretty good and so's the ikura sushi. They're my favourite."

"_Grazie mille. _I shall order them." Again with those foreign words, Tsuna thought. Reborn lifted his hand to get the attention of the waitress. Moving with a perkiness only teenage girls possessed, she held out a pen and a notebook with a cheerful smile.

"What will you be having?"

"Two servings of pork-belly yakitori and ikura sushi, please."

"Will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you." The waitress scribbled the orders down and tore off the paper and tucked it in between the soy sauce bottle and paprika holders. Then she was off with the menus.

"Two servings? You can't be that hungry." Tsuna laughed weakly as he cringed at the thought of his money going down the drain. Reborn only looked at him with mild annoyance.

"They're not all for me."

"Oh. Thank you, I guess." A pause.

"Are you going to explain what's going on now?"

"...If you want." An unnameable expression flitted across the man-child's face as he turned his head away from the fascinating silk-screen print of Mt. Fuji. Tsuna waited with bated breath for the truth that would explain the morning's bizarre events.

"What can you remember of your grandfather?" Another strange question.

"What's that got to do with the previous incident...?" Tsuna asked. Reborn narrowed his eyes and he gulped. Scrunching his brows in concentration, he replied, "I don't remember very much really. I lived together with only my mom after my father disappeared when I was only five...I guess I might have seen my grandfather before that but that's it really."

There was a dull ache in his chest as he remembered the disappearance of his father. His mother hadn't questioned it and remained faithful in her ditzy and happy-go-lucky way. But Tsuna had missed his father's presence and slowly grew to resent his absence as he turned into a teenager and suffered the trials of high school. Even now, his mother still tottered around his childhood home, waiting faithfully for her husband to return home, Tsuna bitterly thought.

"I see... Well, your grandfather was the 9th Don Vongola, the chief of the most powerful Mafia clan in all of Italy. Last year, there had been a vicious spate of murders in which both important advisors and potential heirs to the throne were victims. The Vongola Clan was in a frenzy and no one found out the truth until it was too late..." Reborn closed his eyes as he trailed off into dark memories. He finally appeared like his age.

"And so, the Vongola Throne was usurped by a bastard sired by a harlot. But fortunately, there is still another true, legitimate heir to the throne...who is none other than you, Sawada Tsunayoshi, descended from the direct lineage of the first Don Vongola."

As soon as Tsuna comprehended the revelation, he was stunned into silence. The noises of the sushi bar enclosed them in a bubble. Soundlessly, he reached for the cup of tea and downed it in a gulp.

"I, Reborn, the right-hand man of the 9th has been entrusted with his last command: to train you to be the rightful heir to the position of the 10th Don Vongola." With that announcement, Reborn lifted his cup of tea in salute to Tsuna; _plain, old, ordinary_ Tsuna who had been the outcast in his school days and bullied. The adolescent awkwardness swelled from deep within him and Tsuna flushed.

"N-no, no, don't do that! I'm not deserving of that position! I mean, what's so special about me? I can't be the 10th Don Vongola! You must have gotten the wrong person!" Tsuna got up so fast that he banged his knees against the table. Cursing in pain, he fumbled in his bag for his wallet and took sufficient money to pay for the meal before fleeing. He was going back to Namimori, his childhood neighborhood. Reborn resisted the urge to smack his forhead and reached for the hat. He placed it back on his head and as he did so, a green reptilian head with bulbous yellow eyes peeked out from his pocket. The chameleon's tongue flickered over his cheek.

"Yes, my task's going to be very difficult indeed, Leon. I hadn't even answered Tsunayoshi's last question yet." Reborn wryly smiled. The waitress returned with four plates on a tray and was surprised to see only Reborn at the table. Putting on a sheepish expression, he requested the waitress to pack them for take-away for his dad had realised they were going to be late for the show and had gone on ahead to get the tickets, if she would be so kind to do so?

Sighing with consternation, the waitress patted Reborn on the cheek and murmured,"You're rather brave, little brother." Needless to say, Reborn was soon out of the sushi bar with a plastic bag in hand and headed in the direction of Namimori.

_**Fin**_

**_

* * *

_**

Glossary

_Maguro_ – Tuna, the dark red cut that comes from the muscular part of the tuna stomach. Cheaper than the super deluxe and expensive cut Otoro which is taken from the super fatty part of the stomach and is only available during winter. Basically, Maguro is like the poor man's version of Otoro.

_Yakitori_ - Japanese version of kebabs. The meat is placed on a wooden skewer and is grilled over a charcoal fire and seasoned with japanese sauces like soy, ponzu etc. Quite delicious!

_Ikura_ - Salmon roe. I like eating ikura sushi because the salmon roe delightfully burst in your mouth, releasing salty-sweet liquid the moment you press down lightly on the orange eggs with your teeth. Yum!


	3. Timoteo's Final Words

Title: The Vongola Throne 3  
Author: **ofphenwa**  
Rating: PG13  
Pairing: Gen  
Warnings: swearing. spoilers for Varia Arc

**Timoteo's Final Words**

Sawada Nana was busily preparing the ingredients for a kakuni stew when the doorbell rang. She paused her knife in mid-air above the daikon in mild puzzlement. Who was visiting? She laid the ingredients aside and washed her hands in the sink. She walked leisurely to the door as she dried her hands on her apron. Nana no longer could move as nimbly when she was younger but she was grateful to live long enough to see her cute son grow up into a fine, young man. She only regretted that Tsuna-chan wasn't the man she knew he could be. Nana peeked through the eyehole of the door and was surprised to see a young child holding a plastic bag. Curious, she opened the door to greet the child.

"Hello. Are you lost?", she smiled disarmingly at the boy. He lifted his burden and childishly answered, "Tsuna-san asked me to go ahead and bring these to you. He'll be coming soon." Hearing her son's name and the news of his impending visit, Nana lit up with happiness. Smiling warmly, she took the bag from the charming boy and invited him in.

"Oh my, did he? Thank you very much! What's your name, young man? Would you like to come in for lunch?"

"I'm Reborn, madam. Ciaossu." Reborn took off his hat and bowed. Clapping her hands at the delightful show of chivalry, Nana directed him into the kitchen and told him to help himself to a drink while she prepared lunch.

She took out the bento boxes in the plastic bag and opened them to see a sumptuous spread of yakitori and sushi. Nana smiled. It was going to be a very lovely lunch.

* * *

"Madam, I have to compliment your cooking. It's really marvelous and delicious!"  
Reborn flattered Nana after he swallowed the last spoonful of the kakuni stew on his plate. He hadn't eaten for ages since his flight from Rome. "May I have more?"

Nana laughed and blushed. Reborn's flattery was making her feel as giddy as a young girl, something she hadn't felt in ages. She took Reborn's plate and went to refill it with more food. The bell rang. Perking up, she put down the plate and hurried to the door as fast as she could.

"Tsuna! You're finally here! Lunch was getting cold without you." She hugged her bedraggled and confused son.

"...Mom? How did you know that I was coming?" Nana was already pushing Tsuna toward the kitchen.

"Oh, was it meant to be a surprise? Reborn already told me about you, silly! It was very generous of you to bring yakitori and sushi." In her joy, Nana didn't notice Tsuna stiffening at the name of Reborn.

"...what?!?" Tsuna shouted. True to Nana's words, it was indeed Reborn sitting at the table, finishing off a third helping of stew. Tsuna stepped forward, he was going to wring his neck! Reborn saw him and waved a spoon at him.

"Hi, Tsuna-san! I like your mother very much! She's really kind and pretty just as you said." His child act did not amuse Tsuna at all. But Nana to his horror, was already blushing and she lightly smacked Reborn on the hand in mild embarrassment.

"Oh, don't flatter me!"

"Oh. My. God." Tsuna couldn't take it anymore and sank to the floor in a deep faint, unaware of Nana's startled cry.

* * *

With a yell, Tsuna woke up with sweat beading on his forehead. "Was it all just a bizarre dream...?" Then he realized that the ceiling was different. With dread building in his gut, he recognized it as the ceiling of his old bedroom.

"...No, no, it can't be real!", Tsuna moaned and covered his head with the blanket; fervently wishing reality away. Reborn's voice, muffled by the thick blanket, said:

"Get up, Tsunayoshi. There's no point in sleeping the whole day away."

"...Fuck." Heartfelt swearings poured from his mouth as Tsuna sat up in bed and glared at the demon child before him.

"Catch." A manila envelope flew at Tsuna's face, smacking itself on his nose. He yelped and fumbled for it as it fluttered to the floor. He over-tipped and fell to the floor with a crash.

"...Ow."

"Hmm...poor reflexes and coordination." Reborn jotted something down in a notepad before stashing it away on his body.

"What's this?" Tsuna held the envelope with the tips of his index finger and thumb and looked at it with suspicion.

"I don't know. It's from your grandfather, the 9th. Open it."

"Oh, fine, fine." Tsuna flipped the envelope over and saw the wax seal embossed on the back. It was a shield with a bullet in the center and was festooned with clams. The emblem stirred an unknown emotion and faint memories in him. Transfixed by the Vongola coat-of-arms, Tsuna reverently ran his finger over contours of the seal before breaking it open. Seeing this, Reborn secretly smiled.

_"...hmm, the blood of the Vongola Famiglia runs thick in him."_

Inside the envelope, there was a single sheet of ivory-cream paper. Tsuna gently slid the paper out and unfolded it to expose its contents. It was blank except for the embossed gold family crest that glimmered with a mysterious light. Puzzled by the lack of words, Tsuna accidentally touched the edge of the golden embossing; triggering a reaction.

To his shock, a brilliant blue flame burst from the Vongola crest and quickly consumed the entire paper and his hand before he could drop it. Then Tsuna realized that the flame wasn't burning him or the paper and was warm. He thought that the warmth was very familiar and comforting. Then before his amazed eyes, the blue flames started to form words in calligraphic script and sinking themselves indelibly in black, glossy ink onto the paper.

_The Will of Timoteo Di Vongola_

___I, 9th Don Vongola, hereby declare Sawada Tsunayoshi, direct descendant of the 1st Don Vongola to be the next Don. He is to be tutored by my right-hand man, Reborn, in the ways of the Mafioso. Tsunayoshi shall take his rightful position as the head of the Vongola Famiglia when Reborn deems him ready._

_____When Tsunayoshi reaches adulthood at the age of twenty-one or in the event of marriage, all my estates and wealth are to be under Sawada Tsunayoshi's name. He is to be informed of all matters pertinent to the Vongola._

_______Lastly and most importantly, my Sky ring, currently in possession of Reborn, should only be given to Sawada Tsunayoshi when he has unlocked his Dying Will._

_________This is my final will._

The flames flickered briefly; denoting the end of Timoteo's will. Then they flared strongly again; turning from cold blue to a warm honey colour. The words that soon appeared were shakier and untidy as if the author had difficulties placing his thoughts onto the paper with both physical and emotional obstacles. It was a personal letter from a grandfather to his beloved grandson.

_Dear Sawada Tsunayoshi,_

_I cannot say how much I deeply regret for placing this heavy burden on your shoulders. Yet, I feel supremely confident you will be just fine. The first time I laid eyes on you when you were a wee babe; small enough to carry in my old hands, my intuition told me that you would be the greatest and strongest Don to exist in the long history of the Mafia ever since the 1st Don Vongola. My intuition has rarely been wrong about such matters._

_Actually, when you reached your adolescence, I had planned to send Reborn to you so you would be enlightened and trained to be the Vongola Don. However, this did not come to fruition as the Vongola clan was going through turbulent times which required all my attention and strength...I only wonder how different things would have been if not for my illegitimate son, Xanxus..._

_As Reborn should have informed you by now, the Vongola has fallen into the unworthy hands of Xanxus. It is my terrible mistake that I refused to see Xanxus's hand behind the chaos in the Vongola Famiglia past my guilt over his mother's death until it was too late. It is not easy for me to even contemplate the task I'm going to ask of you, much less write it._

_...Would you execute Xanxus for his trespasses against the Vongola in order to prevent the destruction of our family? Too much is at stake here._

_However, despite all these tragedies, my deepest regret is that I never got to see you grow up from the charming little baby I held in my hands into the young adult you are today. You are my beloved grandson, though not of my blood but through the common Vongola blood that binds us together. I love you, Little Tunafish._

_Timoteo Di Vongola_

The honey flames burned around Tsuna's fingers, caressing them with warmth and evoking faded memories of a fond grandfatherly smile in a wrinkled face and strong hands that held him carefully as warm laughter lulled him to sleep. With a shuddery sigh, Tsuna was surprised to feel tears dropping from his eyes. He was awed by the depth of faith and love that his grandfather had in him. The flames slowly died out, leaving Tsuna with a sense of determination.

"Reborn?" Tsuna's hand that was not holding onto the letter, clenched into a tight fist. In a strange voice that did not seem like his own, Tsuna unconsciously echoed the words of the previous Dons before him;

"I will take what is my right, the Vongola Throne."

Reborn slowly smiled.

* * *

**Dear readers & reviewers, **

**Thank you for taking your time to read this little story of mine! I have been quite encouraged by your reviews and they give me the extra motivation to keep on writing:) However, like you guys, I also have my own real life so I might not be as frequent with the updates as you like. I'm deeply regretful about that. However, please stay tuned to "The Vongola Throne" and continue to give your support!**

** Sincerely,  
**

** Ofphenwa**


	4. Sasagawa Kyoko the Idol

Title: The Vongola Throne 4  
Author: **ofphenwa**  
Rating: PG13  
Pairing: Gen?  
Warnings: Just a teeny bit of well deserved violence, I guess.

* * *

**Sasagawa Kyoko the Idol**

A slim figure dressed in dark, loose baggy clothes was running desperately through the crowd, hoping to shake off his chasers on his trail. Huffing for breath, his sunglasses were slightly askew, revealing for a brief moment, pretty brown eyes before he quickly pushed them back into place. Unable to avoid clipping one of the people walking in the opposite direction, the impact knocked the hood off his head, revealing long chestnut brown hair. _She_ gasped in dismay and increased her speed as she struggled to pull the hood back on. The fanboys were _so_ persistent!

Spotting a dark alley just a further ahead of a children's clothing store, the frazzled celebrity made a hasty gamble and dove for cover. Pressing herself close to the wall, she watched the horde blindly run past and waited for a while longer to ensure all was clear. She peeked out and looked both ways; she didn't see any cameras or crazy reporters/fanboys lying in wait. She sighed in relief and leant back against the dirty wall. She licked her dry lips as she carelessly took off her sunglasses with a flick of her wrist. As she caught her breath, a beeping sound came from her pocket. She almost groaned.

"Moshi moshi. Sasagawa Kyoko here." An harried voice almost blasted her right ear off.

"Kyoko! Where are you?!? Your appointment with the famous photographer Ueno Hikoma is in an hour! If you miss it, you'll be missing the BIGGEST opportunity in your career!" Her flustered secretary was almost in apoplectic fits at the end.

"Hana! Don't worry, I'll be there. I just went out for lunch at Namimori district. It'd been while since I ate there. It...just took longer than expected because of the fans." Kyoko soothed her long-time old friend, Kurosawa Hana, who had studied with her at the same school. She continued speaking;

"I think I'll be at Shinjuku district within half an hour or shorter. See you then." She was already moving back into the main street from the dark alley when a rough hand grabbed her around her waist and another covered her mouth.

"Hmmf!" She struggled fiercely, sharply elbowing her assailant in the stomach. It had little effect. Then Kyoko felt the cold touch of sharp steel on her neck. She stilled.

"Good girl. Now be nice and quiet..." Her assailant roughly snatched her handphone away from her and tossed it into the trash bins; Hana's voice shouting;

_"Kyoko! What's going on?!? Are you in trouble?! Kyo-!"_ The sound of her voice faded into the distance as Kyoko was roughly pulled along by the ruffian with the switch-knife at her neck.

_"Oh god. Someone, anyone, please save me!"_ Kyoko mentally pleaded as she helplessly watched the bright lights of the main street diminishing.

* * *

Someone up there had been listening to Kyoko's pleas; for at the very same moment, Tsuna, Reborn and Nana were out shopping for clothes for Reborn to wear. Evidently, the clothes Reborn wore, were not appropriate and he needed to blend in. Being a typical male, Tsuna found the experience excruciatingly hilarious at Reborn's expense while at the same time, being immensely sympathetic. It was the perfect revenge for that day a few weeks ago. 

"Oh, don't you think it looks good on you?" Nana held up a blue shirt with yellow ducks on it. Reborn took one look at it and hid a grimace behind the shadow of his hat. Really, though Nana was quite a nice lady, it was a bit too much. Reminding himself to be polite to the person who owned the house he currently lived in; Reborn gritted out,

"...erm, yellow's not my colour..."

_"gigglesnortcoughcough" _

Reborn flicked a glare at Tsuna struggling to hide his amusement. When Nana wasn't paying attention, he jabbed Tsuna in a pressure-point that left him unable to make sound. Childish but effective. Oh no, it wasn't revenge, it was _**training**_.

"...!" Tsuna's mouth opened and closed repeatedly like his nickname, Tuna, did. Shooting daggers at Reborn, Tsuna huffed and stormed off, far, far away from the demon tutor/child. He was still sore from the strenuous training Reborn had put him through much against his will. Bullet dodging, avoiding death traps and every other trick-of-trade a gangster must know, had been drilled into him after his work hours under the threat of his...death. He knew that Reborn hadn't been kidding as he polished his gun with a dangerous, _wicked_ smile. Tsuna shuddered. It was amazing that his mother still hadn't discovered Reborn's true nature all this while.

But well, if he was to be honest with himself, they were actually the most fun (if fatally dangerous) he'd ever had. Was he really going to become the 10th Don Vongola? He still found that hard to believe. (He'd conveniently forgotten his impulsive declaration of war on Xanxus) He didn't dare to think of even laying a finger on Xanxus who must have been so powerful that Timoteo couldn't stop him...just what god up there hated him so much!?!

Tsuna pondered on this for some time. He looked out through the window glass and saw a young woman running past. She was vaguely familiar. Her long hair trailed behind her and she turned her head to look behind, unknowingly meeting Tsuna's shocked eyes along the way.

"_...Kyoko-chan?_" He couldn't believe it. His former crush had grown even prettier than the last time he saw her at graduation. Sasagawa Kyoko didn't hear or see Tsuna through the wall of glass separating them inches away from each other. In such close proximity, Tsuna could see Kyoko's dismayed expression and the way she bit her bottom lip in consternation. And like a dream, she was gone in a flutter of silky brown hair. And like a nightmare, a stampede of crazed fanboys drooling/foaming at the mouth with sickening lovelorn expressions rushed past in a ground-shaking roar. _**Eeeewwwyuck.**_

**"Kyoko-chan! Our Divine Goddess, Oh Please Be MINE!"**

Tsuna was disgusted. Couldn't they see that Kyoko didn't want to be bothered? Feeling obliged to help out a former school-mate (_crush._ A voice like Reborn's snidely pointed out in his head. _Shutup!_), Tsuna slipped out of the shop in a hurry. Reborn watched all this with great interest.

"Will this be fine, Reborn-kun?" Nana held up a plain white shirt with a blue whale on it. Reborn's eyebrow twitched.

* * *

With a pained grunt, Kyoko landed hard on the rough ground after being pushed by her kidnapper. She quickly turned over and got to her feet. It was dark. Her skin crawled with fear when more than one person moved out of the shadows. 

_One, two, three, four..._ Kyoko mentally counted. Four guys with leering smiles on their faces. She flushed when her eyes inadvertently spotted the suspicious bulges at their crotch. With a sinking heart, she spat;

"What do you want?!?"

"Can't you tell? The pretty, precious fashion celebrity, Sasagawa Kyoko's acting innocent? Heh." One of the fuys wearing a beanie harshly laughed and Kyoko's blood froze.

"_They think I'm a slut!?? Someone's set me up._" Kyoko breathed deeply to calm herself. She coldly questioned,

"Who was the one that hired you?"

"Heh, what does it matter? All we know that we're going to get rich and a piece of fine ass." Another goon with a lame tattoo across his bicep leered and made a move towards her. In her fear and riding on adrenaline, Kyoko lashed out with a right upper-hook her elder brother Ryohei had taught her and without hesitation, kicked him in the family jewels. Her would-be rapist dropped like a sack of potatoes.

"You _bitch_!" One of the thugs shouted and they all came at her. Kyoko quickly dropped into the boxing stance that was Ryohei's favourite.

_Ryo-nii..._ She tried to focus on the closest enemy coming for her with an ugly, angry growl.

"Get away from her!" A new voice shouted; distracting the thugs' attention. They all looked in the direction of the voice. Kyoko's momentary relief faded like the morning mist when she finally saw who her saviour was. Why! It was just a...

"A skinny wimp!" The man wearing the beanie snorted. Er, not quite as crude as he put it but she _was_ in _doubt_ of his her saviour's capabilities.

As soon as the impulsive words escaped from Tsuna's mouth, he clapped his hands over his wayward mouth with a look of horror. Oo er, the four men were all larger and stronger than him. They were holding knives too. Tsuna looked past them, concerned for Kyoko. He was relieved to see that he had come just in time to stop them but what was he going to do now?!?

Kyoko yelled; "Just get away! I don't want you to get hurt!" She had no desire to see him hurt. Tsuna frowned.

"...No, I can't do that. It's...it's not right to leave someone in danger..." Tsuna inched closer despite his heart thumping rapidly in his chest in fear.

"Bah, let's just get rid of him, it should be a piece of cake." With bloodthirsty grins, they rushed at Tsuna with knives out. Tsuna stopped in his advance with a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face. He didn't know how to fight well!

"_Die._" Someone whispered from a great distance and pressed the trigger of his gun.

A bullet came out of nowhere and hit Tsuna in the forehead. Stunned and feeling black oblivion rushing up to greet him, Tsuna could only think;

"_Damn, if only I could save Kyoko..._"

The four gangsters and Kyoko watched in shock as Tsuna fell backwards with a bleeding hole in his forehead. Kyoko whimpered.

"RAAARRRR!!!! I shall save Kyoko as if I was going to Die!" Tsuna yelled as he sprung up from the ground; with only boxers on. His eyes blazed with fire as a bright orange flame flickered on his forehead. With superhuman speed, he ran forward to engage the gangsters in combat.

It was all over within a few awe-inspiring moves which would have Ryohei yelling in praise. Kyoko was simply amazed. The flames dissipated with a puff of smoke. Dazed, Tsuna looked around and was shocked to see the four goons out-cold in various positions on the ground.

_How did I do that?_

"That was amazing! I've never seen anything like it!" Kyoko gushed in gratefulness. Stumbling slightly, Kyoko winced as pain shot through her knee; she had cut her knee. Tsuna caught her elbow before Kyoko fell over again. She flashed a sheepish smile at him and gingerly regained her balance.

"Oh, er, it was nothing. It was just something I had to do for a former schoolmate..." _Crap! She's going to find out about my former crush on her!_ Tsuna mentally smacked himself for his gaffe.

"Former...schoolmate?" Kyoko was puzzled. She looked at her rescuer closely. Come to think of it, he did ring a bell in her head. She exclaimed in recognition;

"OH! You were that guy, weren't you? The one everyone called No-Good Tsuna?" Tsuna was crushed.

"...er, yeah." He replied defeatedly. Mentally, he cried a river at Kyoko's harsh truth. Kyoko continued,

"Well, you're definitely **not** No-Good Tsuna! You saved me at the risk of your life so you should be Great Tsuna!" Kyoko smiled and then blushed.

"Erm, shouldn't you put on some clothes?"

"GAH!" Tsuna dove for his clothes and hastily put them on in embarrassment. Oh god, Kyoko was going to know Tsuna as the Naked guy. As he did so, a handphone fell out of his pocket. It was Kyoko's handphone.

"Oh! My handphone! Thank you for bringing it to me! I was afraid that I would have to replace it and lose several important contacts in the process. You're a real life-saver." Kyoko picked up her slightly scuffed handphone with a thankful smile.

She looked at her watch and yelped; "Oh no, I'm going to be late! Here, I'll give you my number." Kyoko rattled off a string of numbers and waved as she ran back to the main street.

"See you next time, Tsuna!" Tsuna waved back with a small smile. It was nice to see an old school-mate once in a while. His thoughts were disrupted when a policeman came running into the alley, shouting;

"YOU! What happened here?!?" Caught off guard, Tsuna barely managed to stammer out an explanation when the exasperated policeman clapped a pair of handcuffs on him and contacted the police station.

"N-no! It's all a mistake I tell you!"

"You're all under arrest!"

"Nooooooooooo!!!!" Therefore, it was good to meet up with an old school-mate but not if it was going to land you in jail afterwards...

* * *

**A/N: I really hate crappy formatting! X( **


	5. Personal Bodyguard

Title: Personal Bodyguard  
Author: **ofphenwa**  
Rating: PG13  
Pairing: Gen  
Warnings: Violence, Exploding Stuff (WHEE!), swearing, circumstantial OOCness

* * *

**Personal Bodyguard**

_"No one else is to know about this, are we clear?"  
_

_  
"Yes, sir. We've already hired someone that is of no importance to do the job. Even if he fails, no one will miss him."  
_

_  
"Ahhh, that __**guy**__..."_

* * *

It was a perfectly sunny day with clear blue skies that made your eyes ache to look at them. The smell of salt from the Venetian canals filled the air and occasionally, the stink of rotting garbage would drift across to him. But of course, he couldn't smell all that crap past the smell of metallic gunpowder and cigarette smoke. His fingers stung with the burn of the fast shrinking cigarette. He quickly took it out of his mouth and dropped it into the murky waters below, ignoring the stinging on his callused fingertips. He retrieved a fresh cigarette from within his jacket and re-lit it. Without delay, he put it into his mouth and took a deep breath. The smoke curled around his lungs, the slight burning sensation a mere tickle in the back of his throat, nostrils and chest. He vaguely wondered how many more cigarettes it would take before they killed him.

A pigeon cooed. Casting grey eyes above, he watched the pearly grey pigeon fly in shrinking circles above him before landing with a soft 'whump' of feathers on the railing beside him. It cocked its head as it looked at him in curiousity. It cooed again as it preened its feathers. A hint of a small smile. Unfortunately, the rare moment didn't last long as the pigeon took off in a startled flapping of feathers as footsteps tapped on the cobblestones behind him. Irritated, he slowly straightened up from his lazy slouch on the railing and faced the newcomer. It was one of the smartly-suited mafia grunts. He snarled;

"What do you want?"

"Sir! You've been hired by a client who wishes to remain anonymous. They wish to eliminate this target as _discretely_ as possible. The details are in this envelope." The anonymous grunt crisply saluted and bowed as he handed the manila envelope over with two hands to the notorious Smoking Bomb aka Gokudera Hayato, the bastard of the _Amaranta_ head. With a snort, he took the envelope and dismissively turned away from the messenger. Knowing the dangers of staying around for longer than neccessary, the grunt bowed again and rapidly disappeared into the empty streets. Gokudera tapped his fingers on the railing, his bored voice counting to the rhythm.

_"...sette, otto, nove, Dieci!"_ With a silent roar, the hapless messenger was incinerated into oblivion before he'd even realized the presence of the fizzing dynamite on him. Flicking the ashes from the end of his cigarettes, Gokudera opened the envelope and pulled a photo of Sawada Tsunayoshi with the location written on the back. He rustled the envelope and a hefty wad of dollar bills fell out onto the ground, displacing dirt. He whistled and raised an eyebrow at the _large_ sum of money. His client must have been really keen to erase this target.

"_Giaponne..._"

A flock of pigeons flew past and when they cleared, Gokudera Hayato was nowhere to be seen; the only evidence of his presence a small photo of Sawada Tsunayoshi smiling, floating on the water of the Venetian canals.

* * *

Tsuna stared dumbly at the pink letter in his left hand. It was a letter of retrenchment. He read through the letter again for the umpteenth time; trying to convince himself it was all a nightmare. Unfortunately, the type-written words mocked him in black ink;

_"...You have been deemed incapable in your duties. We are truly regretful to inform you that you have relieved of your duties. Enclosed within the letter, is your retrenchment relief salary..."_

Unable to read anymore, Tsuna turned disbelieving eyes onto the white letter in his other hand. This was a letter of evictment. The cruel words winded from left to right on the paper, spelling out;

_"...You have been evicted from the Berugu Estates. You will be given 3 months to prepare..."_

"Oh no...! What am I going to do now?!? It's not easy to find a new job and a new apartment!" Tsuna murmured in dismay. He was worried for both his mother and himself; being the sole bread-winner of the family. Oh yeah, he mustn't forget about Reborn too. As if on cue, Reborn, dressed in a plain blue shirt and dark brown shorts, walked into the small kitchen of Tsuna's apartment. Hearing Tsuna's words, he snatched the letters from Tsuna's shaking hands and perused them with an expert eye. Reborn suggested;

"Then, why don't you stay with your mother? I'm sure your old school-mate would be willing to help you out."

"...Perhaps. But I can't just impose on her just like that!" Tsuna agitatedly replied. Since that fiasco where he'd been accidentally arrested, he had found out about the Dying Bullet and its effects from Reborn who had turned up with his mother to bail him out. Since then, Tsuna had a somewhat ambiguous relationship with his tutor (who was still younger than him by a decade) who had killed him for real but in the process, enabled him to save Kyoko. He wasn't sure how to take that fact. _Being killed in order to activate the Dying Will...it was really convoluted logic._

"You never know unless you try." Reborn pointed out. Tsuna dithered over the decision to call Kyoko. "How should I say it?!? I can't just say, "Oh, Kyoko-san, I lost my job. Can you help me out?" Kyoko would turn me down faster than you can shoot me."

Reborn smirked and simply said, "We'll see." He whipped out his familiar gun and shot Tsuna.

"Wha-..." Tsuna fell to the floor with a thump. Seconds later, he sprung to his feet and ran for his handphone. He dialed Kyoko's number and waited for her to pick it up.

"Moshi moshi, Sasagawa Kyoko here. Who are you?"

"Kyoko-san! It's me, Sawada Tsunayoshi. I'm in a bit of trouble here. Would you hear me out?"

"Oh, it's you, Tsuna! Sure, no problem, what's the trouble?"

"Well, I shouldn't impose on you like this but I just lost my job and so I was wondering..."

"Oh dear! That's terrible! I'll see what I can do. I'll call you back soon."

"Thank you very much! Your help is much appreciated."

"It's of no big trouble to me. Take care, Tsuna-san." The handphone beeped, denoting the end of the conversation just as the Dying Will wore off. Tsuna stared at the handphone in stunned amazement. Kyoko had actually agreed to help him out! Then he felt the urge to sneeze. He did so and a bullet came out onto his palm.

"WHAT THE?!? You just shot me again!" Reborn didn't reply. Tsuna looked closer and realized that he'd fallen asleep! It was just too bizarre for words. His handphone beeped again.

"Moshi moshi, Sawada Tsunayoshi here."

"Hey, Tsuna-san! I think I've got a job for you. Would you be willing to become my personal bodyguard?" Kyoko's sweet voice spoke.

"Oh, that'll be fine. Uh, wait, what?!? ME as your bodyguard?!? Why?!?" Tsuna couldn't believe his ears. Kyoko chuckled and explained;

"Actually, you're perfect for the job because no one would expect a wimpy assistant-secretary to be capable of fighting. From what I saw, you're quite good. Anyhow, I'll need protection sooner or later, preferably sooner, because there's been nasty rumours flying around lately." Kyoko paused and asked again;

"So are you willing to be my bodyguard?" Tsuna's ego alternately took a beating and a boost from Kyoko's words. Recovering from the simultaneously painful and glorious experience, he stammered;

"Yeah, I'll do it."

"Great! I'll give you the address and I'll see you there next morning at 9am. See you soon!" Kyoko relayed the address to him and ended the conversation. His handphone beeped. The implications of the situation finally caught up with Tsuna. He smacked his forehead.

"...ooooh shiiiit! I just got myself into a deeper hole! I can't be a BODYGUARD!"

"It's an excellent training opportunity. You should take it." Reborn noted. "Besides, it's the only choice you have now, hmm?"

"I hate you so much right now that I wish I could kill you with my bare hands." Tsuna sulked as Reborn's correct analysis hit home. In response, Reborn cheerfully waved as he walked out of the kitchen.

* * *

Needless to say, the next morning at 8:45am, Tsuna was in the suburban area near the center of Tokyo. The houses were huge and lavish. Holding the slip of paper in his hands, Tsuna took in the sights with wide-eyes.

"Whoa! I didn't know Kyoko was so rich! Er, where's the address again?" He looked around but he couldn't see it. A car honked from behind him. Jumping out of the way in the nick of time, a sleek black limousine drove past. The car stopped a few feet away and the door opened. A stern woman with short, black wavy hair got out of the car and strode over to him.

"What the hell were you doing in the middle of the road? It's dangerous!" She lectured. Tsuna cringed and squeaked his excuse;

"Umm, sorry for troubling you! I was having trouble finding this address."

The scary woman took the paper from him and read the address. As she read, her eyebrows climbed steadily higher and higher. She incredulously asked;

"You're the new bodyguard Kyoko told me about?!? It can't be true!" Tsuna kept silent, not wanting to spark off her temper again.

"Ok, what's your name?"

"S-Sawada Tsunayoshi, miss."

The woman muttered a few uncomplimentary words under her breath and took out her handphone to make a call. She walked slightly away from Tsuna and Tsuna couldn't hear what she was saying on the phone but it turned out to be alright as the woman walked back with a barely-hidden skeptical expression.

"It's been confirmed. Kyoko says that I should give you a lift to her place as I'm also going the same way as you are."

She turned on her heel and walked back to the limousine. Grasping the unspoken order, Tsuna hurried after her.

The woman had already begun working on her laptop by the time Tsuna got in and closed the door. She was disinclined to speak with her fellow passenger so Tsuna wisely kept quiet. He noted the luxurious interior of the limousine, buttery-smooth leather and slick chrome. In front of him, there was even a mini bar, complete with an LCD screen! He gawked at it in amazement.

_...Whoa._

"You can help yourself to a drink, if you want. It's most unappealing to see your gawking mouth." The woman sharply spoke without looking up from her laptop. Tsuna nervously nodded and opened the fridge door to reveal a variety of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic. He opted for a simple orange juice.

The car ride was exquisitely smooth and he could feel the powerful car engines purring through the seats. Tsuna looked out of the car windows and watched the scenery move past at a sedate pace. The car slid gently to a stop in front of a luxurious house. Gaping at the size of Kyoko's home, Tsuna numbly followed the black-haired woman out of the car to the front door. She rapped briskly on the wooden door with the metal knocker. As they waited for the door to open, Tsuna briefly wondered;

_"Sasagawa Kyoko must have become very rich, but how?"_

"Because I'm now a very popular celebrity, Tsuna-san! You're probably the first person who doesn't know who I am, not that I mind." Kyoko's cheerful voice piped up. Tsuna was stunned to see Kyoko cleaned up and dressed simply in an ensemble of a white spaghetti-strap dress over blue jean pants. her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. He was speechless at the pretty sight and the remnants of his old crush flared back to life as Kyoko grinned at him.

"Um, you look very nice today, Sasgawa-san." That was all Tsuna could manage. The black-haired woman sniffed from beside him; it was clear that she didn't approve of Kyoko's choice.

"Well then, let's go to the office, Hana and Tsuna." Kyoko walked out of the house to the limousine. Hana? It couldn't be-!

"You're Kurosawa Hana!" Really, what were the chances of meeting another old school-mate within a month? Hana was surprised for a moment before she narrowed her eyes and snapped at Tsuna,

"So what of it? I'm not only Kyoko's secretary but her friend as well. I should be the one asking who you are, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Cut, cut, cut! We'll talk this over in the car, shall we? I'm going to be late if you don't follow." Kyoko interrupted; reminding the duo that their _boss_ was still present and impatiently waiting for them in the car. Hana snorted and coldly turned away from Tsuna. Tsuna meekly followed as he puzzled over Hana's antagonism towards him.

* * *

The car ride was awkward as Hana refused to respond to Tsuna's attempts at conversation. Kyoko sighed and simply told Tsuna;

"Never mind, Hana's just really stressed and concerned about my safety. She's not sure whether you'll be a good bodyguard but she'll come round eventually. I have faith in your capability."

Tsuna's ears and cheeks pinked at Kyoko's words and he thanked her. Within an hour, they were at the Nippon Hoso Kyokai building in the Shibuya district. Feeling at odds as Kyoko's new assistant-secretary/secret personal body-guard, Tsuna trailed behind Kyoko and Hana, casting nervous glances around as if a madman waving a gun/knife would suddenly pop out from nowhere.

"Hohohohoho! It's Princess Bambi with her black crow!" A girlish voice suddenly cackled from behind, causing Tsuna to almost jump a few feet into the air. Kyoko suppressed a groan and turned to face her rival, Takada Yumiko while Hana resisted the urge to do some serious bitchslapping. Tsuna eyed Yumiko dubiously. She was dressed to the nines and beyond in a extravagant confection of frothy frills, lace and ribbons while her curly hairdo defiantly defied gravity. Her makeup was excessive to the point that just a little dab of lipstick or eyeshadow would tip it over to clownish makeup. Yumiko was also loud and crass as she demonstrated;

"Who's the new, weak guy? Your boy-toy to play with at tea? I'm _shocked_, Princess Bambi!" She pointed a bright red nail at Tsuna with an expression that might have been cuter on a less painted face. On her, it came off as mildly mental-trauma-inducing. Kyoko frowned slightly.

"Good morning, Yumiko-san. He's not my boy-toy. He's my new assistant-secretary and he'll be helping Hana-san with her duties. We've got to go or we'll be late. See you some other time, Yumiko-san." Kyoko began to walk away from Yumiko. However, Yumiko wouldn't be deterred. She spoke loudly and derisively;

"Running away again, Princess Bambi?!? You're just a whore, the only thing you have going for you is what lies betwe-Mph!" Yumiko was cut off in mid-rant by a wadded ball of tissue that Tsuna had thrown on impulse. Kyoko gasped. He didn't really like what he was hearing about Kyoko. Looking at the coughing Yumiko, Tsuna quietly advised;

"You shouldn't say bad things about another person. It's not good for your image, Yumiko-san." Yumiko didn't bother to retort; she gathered her skirts and stalked away with a haughty air. Her pride was too damaged by that lowly peon's assault. Tsuna slowly let out a deep breath he had unconsciously held. Stupid Reborn's training and his impulses were going to get him in trouble. Unexpectedly, there was a sound of quiet applause.

"Bravo, Sawada-san. It was the most magnificent, elegant and effective way of shutting someone up if I ever saw one." Hana stopped her clapping as the left corner of her lips rose slightly. Tsuna modestly touched his head with embarrassment. Hana looked at her watch and notified Kyoko;

"I'll go ahead and settle things with the director. I'll meet you on the set later." Kyoko nodded and before Hana left, she gave Tsuna a warning;

"You better look after her well, or I'll come after you with a rusty butcher-knife." Tsuna squeaked with fear. Hana smirked and went her way down the corridor with a wave of her hand. Kyoko smiled as she watched her back move away. She commented to her new bodyguard;

"Hmm, I think Hana likes you now. She always didn't like Yumiko-san so your action probably got you into her good books."

"Really? I couldn't tell..." Tsuna replied apprehensively. Kyoko laughed lightly and responded;

"Never mind. You'll understand her better once you get to know her. Anyway, thank you for protecting me, Tsuna-san." Kyoko smiled again, (making Tsuna's heart skip a few beats) and she started walking down the corridor after Hana. Ah, maybe this new job as Kyoko's personal bodyguard wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**Amaranta** - italian for amaranth. The amaranth is a type of flower that is usually red and comes in clusters. Err, I don't know the name of Gokudera's family, so if you do know, please tell me?

**sette, otto, nove, dieci** - italian for 7, 8, 9, 10 respectively.

**A/N**: Oh about Takada Yumiko, she's an OC who dislikes Kyoko immensely because she sees her as a threat. She's just as popular as Kyoko despite her loud, crass words and flamboyant appearance due to her different 'Moe' appeal from Kyoko's girl-next-door fresh appeal. I actually like her a bit. hahaha. (O3O);


	6. Carpe Diem

**Title**: Carpe Diem  
**Author**: **ofphenwa**  
**Rating**: PG13  
**Pairings**: Gen  
**Warnings**: Swearing

* * *

_**Carpe Diem**_

It was now a month since Tsuna became Kyoko's assistant-secretary/part-time secret bodyguard and another three months since his world turned upside down when he met Reborn, child assassin on the train on that grey Monday morning. Reborn was now a permanent resident at Sawada Nana's house at Nana's insistence; much to Tsuna's vague horror. Reborn's deadly weapon, the puppy eyes combined with a teary forged letter from his (non-existent) parents didn't help matters much either. To Tsuna's chagrin, he had to move back to his childhood home after coming to the painful realization that he would not be able to afford the high rent on any prospective apartment. Really, for all being the future 10th Don Vongola was worth, it was absolutely useless when it came to the property market!

On the other hand, his new job was easily a lot more enjoyable and cushy compared to his previous job as a clerk. All he had to do was to follow Kyoko around like a faithful dog and keep a watch out. The pay was also decent. With the excuse of being Kurosawa Hana's assistant, Tsuna was able to get into most places with ease. Apparently, Kurosawa Hana had also made quite a name for herself as the "Black Witch" in the behind-the-scenes of the media world. Her temper was legendary but her efficiency was not to be sniffed at as well. After all, she was the one who helped to engineer Sasagawa Kyoko's rapidly rising star.

So back to his current job as a secret bodyguard (he still felt awkward about the role), there was almost zero chances of any real danger beyond paper cuts or bruises from stunts in Kyoko's work as an actress. However, nasty backstabbing and vicious rumours flew thickly in the air within the large Nippon Hoso Kyokai building. Such was the nature of pop media. Tsuna could now understand Hana-san's stress and her temperamental attitude. Really, some of the rumours were quite ridiculous or even downright derogatory. He tried to ignore the comments about his employer as much as he could but his patience/timidity was rapidly wearing thin.

Leaning against the wall of one of the studios, Tsuna observed the crew move about their business and most of all, Kyoko who was smack in the center of the room, modelling for a well-known fashion magazine Zipper in a kimono-inspired outfit with a bold graphic design of a yellow chrysanthemum on a white top. Her hair was styled messily and she wore light makeup. Under the bright studio lights, Kyoko posed with a winsome smile. His old school crush reviving itself with a vengeance, Tsuna felt a small blush creep across his face. Something prodded his leg.

"She would make an excellent wife for the mafia head."

"Reborn!?! Wha-? No, she's not going to be my wife! And wait, how did you get in here?!?" Tsuna was absolutely gobsmacked to see Reborn smartly dressed in a clean black suit and the same fedora he had worn on the train; sharply alert and poised to make a move beside him. Reborn smiled lazily;

"I charmed my way in. No one ever suspects a child as handsome as me."

"Riiiiiight." Tsuna was still dubious of Reborn's unorthodox methods but didn't question any further. The smile hovering on Reborn's face was tad too _satisfied_ for his liking. There were some things he Really. ABSOLUTELY. Did. NOT. Want. To. KNOW. Ever. Reborn ignored Tsuna and cast a sweeping glance over the entire studio; noting vital information. He whistled and rocked slightly on his feet.

"Now that you're a bodyguard, you better act like it. I'm here to train you." Reborn grinned sadistically.

_...Noooooo!!!!_

* * *

The engines of the plane roared to life, lifting the large vehicle into the air from the long runway at the Narita International Airport. A slim, man with silvery hair wearing dark shades, walked briskly from the departure terminal with a small suitcase in hand. Smoke trailed from the cigarette clenched in between his lips. A security guard tapped him on the shoulder, speaking in english,

"_Excuse me, sir. Smoking's not allowed in this area of the airport._" Gokudera Hayato took out the cigarette in his hand to sharply retort in fluent japanese much to the security guard's shock;

"**Fuck. Off. **This is my **first **damn cigarette after _**12**__**shitty hours**_ aboard the plane _without a __**single damn smoke**_. I don't need your bullshit right now." Hayato took a deep drag from the cigarette and extinguished it with a pinch. Taking aim, he flicked the cigarette butt toward the dust bin. Together, the security guard and Hayato watched the tiny white object sail through the air in a graceful parabola. It successfully landed in the bin. Hayato smirked.

"At least I _bothered_ to dispose of it properly. _Addio_." The security guard was too shocked to stop Hayato from walking off. Rapidly putting some distance between him and the security guard, Hayato took out a small sheet of paper and committed the address of Sawada Tsunayoshi to memory. He hailed a taxi as he stepped out from the airport and told the driver as he got into the car;

"Berugu Estates at Odaiba Bay."

* * *

"What are the three things you must do upon entering a room?" Reborn questioned as he sat on Tsuna's back. For the past half hour, he had been making Tsuna train and right now, Tsuna was doing a set of fifty push-ups with Reborn on his back. Tsuna gritted his teeth and weakly struggled to push himself up on his thin arms. He panted out;

"Scan the room for potential threats..._wheeze..._Look for possible exits and vantage points..._gasp" _His arms trembled as his sore muscles started to spasm. He pushed again;

"_Then_, stay close to your client at all times...!" With a sigh of relief, Tsuna collapsed onto the floor of his bedroom. Reborn hopped lightly off the exhausted young man. He placed a bottle of water in front of Tsuna's sweaty face and commented;

"Correct. You did well today, Tsuna. Obviously, your new job is giving you the necessary motivation...which brings me back to the point that Kyoko would make a good wife for you."

"Kyoko's not going to be my wife." A half-hearted protest. Tsuna didn't have enough energy to argue against it as he gratefully drank from the bottle. Reborn only raised an eyebrow; there was just no convincing Tsuna of the benefits and possibility of having Kyoko as a wife. With her increasing popularity as a celebrity in many circles such as acting, music or fashion, Kyoko would make it big on the international scene soon. With her influence and large network of contacts, Kyoko would be a valuable asset to the Vongola Famiglia especially within Japan. And not to mention her status as the 10th Don Vongola's first love...Sasagawa Kyoko would be good for Tsuna.

Unnoticed by Tsuna, Reborn fiddled with the yellow ring on his finger. It was the modified ensignia of the _Acrobaleno_ when the original baby pacifier was deemed too conspicuous and childish for the growing _Acrobaleno_. Sometimes, Reborn wished that he could remove the ring to regain his true adult form so he could better protect the future 10th Don Vongola before the time came. His instinct, finely honed through the decades, was buzzing again; a threat was close-by and Tsuna was still not ready. The only thing that would save them without unneccessarily revealing his true self, would be _these bullets_ that lay within his gun. The only question was whether Tsuna would have it in him the capacity for the Dying Will.

"...Would you be prepared to lay your life down for your precious ones?" Reborn muttered as he watched Tsuna empty the bottle down his throat. His pet chameleon, Leon climbed up his leg and he scooped him up into his arms. Before he left Tsuna's room, he advised Tsuna to do the cooling exercises and was answered by a disgruntled grumble. Well then, it was about time to watch the news.

* * *

_"...A fire broke out in the apartment B14-27_ _of the Berugu Estates late last night. The firemen are now working diligently to put out the fierce inferno. Fortunately, no one was hurt or killed in the blaze. We'll now turn to our Tokyo correspondent, Miura Haru at the scene..." _A male voice announced from the living room as Tsuna came down the stairs, rubbing his hair dry with his blue towel. He froze with shock as he realized that the address was his former residence. Tsuna ran into the living room to hear and watch the rest of the news with a growing _sick _feeling in his stomach. He barely noticed the deadly serious Reborn sitting on the chair beside him.

_"Hi, Miura Haru, your Tokyo newsreporter at your service! We're now safely several feet away from the fiercely burning inferno of the Berugu Estates apartment B14-27. However, we can still feel the strong heat from the flames at this distance. According to one of the residents, the fire broke out sometime after 3am. This means that the brave firemen have been battling the fire for close to 7 hours. What an unusual fire! We're going to interview the Chief now."_

A perky woman with black hair cut in a bob appeared on the screen with a microphone. She spoke with a cheerful confidence and approached the chief fireman with a genial air.

_"Good morning, Chief Yamato-san. What can you say about this unusually strong fire?"_

_  
"...Unusually strong" is the understatement of the year. It's practically __**hellfire**__ up there. It's damn lucky that no one was living in that apartment when the fire came."_

_"Do you think it could be arson?"_

_"It's probable. But we won't be able to tell anytime soon unless the fire dies down on its own or we're able to put out the fire."_

_"Thank you very much for your time, Chief Yamato-san. I wish you and your men all the best in defeating the fire. Miura Haru, Tokyo news reporter is now signing out!"_

_  
_With the final words from the female reporter, the television turned off at the press of the remote control. Tsuna stared at the empty black screen in numb shock and fear. He sank down into the couch.

"They're really out for my head, aren't they?" Reborn grimly nodded; the Varia had been fast and this time, they had sent a fairly competent assassin unlike the run-of-the-mill he had personally eliminated while keeping an eye on Tsuna over the past three months. Tsuna still didn't know about this but well...he might as well inform Tsuna now.

"Actually, it's not the first case. Remember the first time we met?" At Tsuna's faint nod, Reborn explained, "There were also other assassins sent by the Varia after you in the past three months as well. You did not see or hear any sign of them because I had prevented them from getting to you."

"The _**past**__**three months**_!??" Tsuna croaked.

"Yes. What did you think I was _**doing**_while you were at work or not training you? Anyway, it's a real wake-up call for you, Tsuna. You'll have to prepare yourself for a difficult time ahead...For I cannot be at your side all the time." Reborn solemnly concluded.

"So what do I do?" Reborn wet his lips with his tongue before simply answering;

"_Carpe Diem_."

* * *

**Addio – **farewell

**Carpe Diem** - a well known latin phrase meaning; "To seize the day."


	7. Piacere

Title: Piacere  
Author: **ofphenwa**  
Rating: PG13  
Warnings: Violence, mentions of paedophilia X(  
Summary: Piacere - I am pleased to meet you.

**Piacere**

At the very same moment, the culprit roughly slammed his hand down on the wooden bar-top with a curse. The middle-aged, balding bartender glanced at the television above him curiously and commented;

"Was it your apartment?" His customer merely gave him a blank look from behind his orange-tinted glasses. He then snorted and reached for his half-full glass of red wine. He wryly spoke;

"Not quite…it was the address of an old friend. I don't know whether I should be pissed off or worried. Heh, my friend's always forgetting to keep in touch." The bartender's eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh, that's certainly quite a difficult situation. How are you going to find your friend then?"

"That's an excellent question. No, I don't have any idea." The customer grimaced. Resting his head on his left hand, he continued to sip his wine as he pondered his next course of action.

"Say, if I approach the landlord of the Berugu Estate, would he be able to give me the new address of his previous occupant?" He held out his empty glass to the bartender who took it back for washing. The bartender's face creased into a friendly smile.

"It just might. It's worth trying."

"_Arigato_. Here's your tip." The bartender's young customer flashed a polite smile as he passed a few thousand yen across the bar-top to the flabbergasted man.

"That's too much, I can't take it, sir!" But he was too late. With a sigh, the middle-aged bartender gave the pile of yen dollars a considering look before he reluctantly took it for his pay. Some extra money wouldn't hurt.

* * *

At 11 in the morning, the odiously obese landlord was rudely woken by a loud explosion that rocked his luxurious penthouse studio. Rolling his huge mass out of bed with difficulty, the irate Mr. Kikuchi waddled towards the main room as fast as he could, barely pausing to throw on a robe for cover.

"I'm going to _kill_ whoever had the mind to disturb my beauty-oh my GOD!" Mr. Kikuchi flung his hands up in aghast horror at the utter wreckage of the front doors and main room. The doors had been blasted open and the resulting shrapnel had destroyed much of the main room.

The expensive leather couch was generously spiked all over like a medieval torture instrument. His precious 30-inch plasma LCD TV was shattered into innumerable pieces all over the marble floor. The persian carpet was stained with soot and torn by wooden shards. As he took it all in, the crystal chandler creaked ominously as the cable frayed. The opulent chandler fell in the center of the room with an ugly loud clatter and tinkling of broken crystals.

"About time you woke up, Mr. Kikuchi." With a speed one would not have suspected from the large Mr. Kikuchi, he spun to face the intruder with a shaking finger pointed at him. Turning red in the face, he yelled at the silver-haired man.

"YOU! YOU DESTROYED MY HOME AND MY BEAUTY SLEEP! I'M GOING TO CALL THE POLICE!"

The intruder's lips curved into a smirk and he revealed a length of rope. Before Mr Kikuchi could process what was happening, he was assaulted and quickly trussed up like a pig. Squeaking indignantly, Mr. Kikuchi rolled on the floor like a worm, trying to escape before the intruder quickly stopped his wriggling by firmly stepping on his stomach.

"Now, Mr Kikuchi, I'm really sorry about your home but I need answers. Please kindly cooperate with me or things are going to get real _unpleasant_." Bending down, his assailant took out a photograph and showed it to Mr. Kikuchi. He also took hold of Mr Kikuchi's wrist for his pulse.

"Do you know where this man is?" Mr. Kikuchi quickly replied in a high voice, "No, I don't know who this man is!" His pulse jumped.

"You're lying." The sharp crack of Mr Kikuchi's right wrist dislocating resonated. The assailant coolly watched him writhe in agony. He asked again,

"Do you know where he is?"

Sobbing in pain and fear, Mr. Kikuchi answered in a pitiful voice, "Sawada Tsunayoshi was indeed a resident of Berugu Estates but he was evicted a month ago. I don't know where he is now!"

"Not good enough." Mr Kikuchi howled in pain as his entire right arm was roughly pulled from its socket. The acrid stench of urine and the wetness that covered the front of his robe informed him that he'd lost control of his bladder in fear. He finally replied in an almost inaudible voice,

"You can probably find his new address if you contact his relatives. The contact details are in the files on the computer in the study behind me! The username is Kikuchi and the password is momo."

"Thank you." The last thing Mr. Kikuchi saw, was a gloved fist rushing towards his face.

* * *

"Urgh." Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Gokudera Hayato wiped his hand on his pants as he got up from the comatose body of Mr. Kikuchi. Mr Kikuchi's mouth was grossly open with a trail of saliva dribbling down his chin. A dark stain was forming on the silk carpet beneath him and the ammonia stench hit his nostrils.

"Double _URGH_!" Hayato muttered under his breath as he tiptoed round the corpulent mass to get to the study. Finding the room easily, he paused in gape-jawed shock at the sheer revolting opulence of the study.

"My god, even some of the filthiest rich people I know, don't even go to such lengths..." Shaking his head, Hayato homed in on the iMac on the table. His covered fingers flew across the white keyboard as Hayato hunted for the data records of Sawada Tsunayoshi. Within moments, a window-screen rapidly opened and he found himself seeing a photo of Sawada Tsunayoshi along with his contact details. He smiled in satisfaction.

_**Bingo.**_

He quickly copied the information into a notepad, fearing that the forensics might detect the use of an external device on the computer. He was about to shut the computer down when a notice beeped on the computer. Raising a curious eyebrow, Hayato read the notice and felt extremely vindicated in his earlier actions. Why, Mr Kikuchi was into child pornography! Disgusted by Mr. Kikuchi, Hayato searched through the computer files for incriminating evidence for the police to see when they arrived.

His mission completed, Gokudera Hayato gave one last scrutiny of Mr Kikuchi's home with a disdainful expression as he moved toward the gutted doors. Seeing nothing amiss aside from the destruction, he bade the unconscious man farewell,

"_Buona notte e sogni d'oro._"

* * *

Sitting at a table in a small bistro that afforded him the view of the bustling streets of Tokyo and privacy, Hayato flipped open a sleek grey handphone and dialled in the numbers of his target's work contact number in rapid succession. He sipped the overly-too-sweet coffee and patiently waited for the other person to pick up the call. He didn't expect to hear a feminine voice though. He briefly entertained the notion that his target was actually a woman instead of a man...

Ridiculous!

"Yes? How may I assist you?"

"Ah, is this the right number? I was informed that Mr. Sawada Tsunayoshi could be contacted through this line."

The woman laughed and it was exactly like the nature of his coffee. Too saccharrine. She replied,  
"Oh no, it's definitely the right number! But Sawada Tsunayoshi can no longer be reached here because he's been fired."

"Fired? I see...but this is a matter of utmost importance so I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me Mr. Sawada's contact number and address." Hayato eyed the watery brown liquid with distaste; he really missed the genuine freshly-brewed italian coffee. He could hear the rustling of paper and keyboard tapping on the phone as the woman searched for the information. She finally answered,

"Mr. Sawada Tsunayoshi can be contacted at this number..." The woman rattled off a string of numbers in rapid japanese, nearly causing Hayato to tear the paper with his furious scribbling. She paused and lowered her voice in a conspirational whisper.

"You're lucky that you asked for someone who isn't very competent and not well-liked either. If you had asked for someone else like me, there was no chance you would get it. _Hehehe_." Her high-pitched giggles gave Hayato a headache. Not wishing to court her clumsy and unwanted flirtations, he curtly thanked her and closed the connection. He sipped at his drink and shuddered at the taste. It just wasn''t his worth while.

* * *

It was now about three days since the first attempt and Gokudera Hayato was increasingly becoming annoyed by Sawada Tsunayoshi's elusiveness. The landlord's information had been outdated and the giggly clerk's was another dead end. (_"Sorry, the line has been terminated."_) Either he was just unlucky or his target was actually very wily and had been preparing for assassins coming for him. Hayato suspected that it was the latter.

"Shit! How am I supposed to find just one person in the middle of Tokyo!?" Hayato yelled in english at the blue sky in the empty park. Brushing back his silvery-grey hair from his forehead, he exhaled deeply to calm himself down. He had to be professional. He sat down heavily on the bench behind him and gazed at the artificial river beyond the railing. Hayato didn't want to spend more time than neccessary on this assignment. The longer it went on, the pre-calculated risks would change unpredictably and increase exponentially.

Sighing, he rubbed his face with his hands as the cool evening wind blew. It was almost autumn. Wistfully, he recalled the beautiful nature surrounding his childhood home, Casa de Amaranta. Located deep within the mountainous region of Lombard near the border of Switzerland, the green forests would turn fiery red in autumn and shed their leaves in the gentle breeze like rain onto the young boy he used to be. But...that place and time was no longer his.

"What's a young man like you doing out here in the cold all by yourself?" A friendly voice distracted Hayato from his thoughts. To his startlement, the sun was already setting! He bolted to his feet as he berated himself mentally for his lack of attention. Remembering the japanese customs, Hayato quickly bowed to the person, sneaking a quick cursory examination from behind his fringe. The stranger was just an ordinary middle-aged woman approaching her fifties, judging from the fine wrinkles that lined her smiling face. However, there was something about her that was strangely familiar.

"Ah, no you don't need to do that! I'm sorry if I disturbed you." The lady waved her hand in a negative response. She then groaned as the weight of her burden pulled at her shoulder. Ever the gentleman, Hayato quickly relieved the shopping bag from the lady. Smiling ruefully, the lady rubbed at her shoulder and commented,

"Well, my age's really catching up with me! Oh, you must be a foreigner, aren't you? Especially with your exotic colouring." Not knowing how to respond to her friendliness, Hayato slowly nodded as he held the bag. He sneaked a peek into the bag; your typical groceries of a normal housewife. Returning his attention to the lady who had continued to speak to him,

"...Do you currently have a place to stay in?"

"Pardon? Could you repeat that again?" The lady pursed her lips and spoke slowly in english this time, concentrating hard on the words. She also gestured to better illustrate her words.

"You, have place to stay...sleep at?" Hayato inwardly smiled at her genuine effort and kindness and he replied in fluent japanese.

"Not at the moment, Madam. Thank you for your kind effort." The lady gasped in surprise at his excellent grasp of the language but she soon recovered her composure.

"Oh! I didn't know you could understand japanese! You speak very good japanese for a foreigner. Ah, why don't you come over to my place for dinner? My son is busy and will be late tonight. I'm sure he wouldn't mind having one more for company."

"Oh, I can't impose on you..."

"Nonsense. It's already fairly late and it will be hard for you to get accommodations at this time. You may as well stay over for the night." She was firm in her decision and Hayato had to admit that she was right. He didn't enough money on him at the moment to rent a room. He reluctantly agreed,

"I. Well, thank you very much for your generous hospitality. Is there anyway I can repay you?" Answering with a bright smile that niggled at the back of his mind with its familiarity, the lady responded cheerfully,

"You can help me carry the shopping bag back home! Oh by the way, I'm Sawada Nana, nice to meet you." She didn't notice the way Hayato suddenly stilled at her name, his eyes widening fractionally in shock.

_ ...Sawada? She couldn't be...?_

_fin  


* * *

_

___**Buona notte e sogni d'oro**_ - Good night & sweet dreams


	8. Negotiations

**Title:** Negotiations

**Author:** ofphenwa

**Rating:** PG

**A/N**: Enjoy the update and please leave a review. :)

* * *

**Negotiations**

"Please make yourself comfortable while I prepare dinner. Your name's Gokudera Hayato, isn't it? That's a very impressive name." The petite lady commented as she showed her guest to the living room. Gokudera simply nodded in response as he let Sawada Nana take the grocery bags from him. Nana gave him another smile and with a soft hummed tune, she disappeared into another room, to the left of the living room. Gokudera kept his ears pricked for any suspicious noises from the kitchen. There was none.

Relaxing slightly, the young assassin finally took the opportunity to observe his new surroundings. The living room was typically western in design with a comfortable sofa which he currently sat on. The walls were pale beige and one section of the living room opened out to the small backyard garden. This caused the living room to be airy and well-lit from the natural light streaming through the glass walls that separated the garden from the living room. Gokudera Hayato noted the LCD television before him appreciatively. However, he was mildly puzzled by the lack of framed photos of his host and her family.

For a brief period of time, Gokudera drummed his fingers on the sofa arm, listening to the soft sounds of running water and clinking dishes from the kitchen. He then got up from the sofa and stealthily walked to the kitchen door. Nana was cutting the vegetables. He glanced at the staircase in the hallway. He quietly shut the kitchen door to prevent her from hearing him going up the stairs.

Upstairs, there were four doors. The only open door showed the bathroom. The other doors didn't show any clue as to what was inside. There was a sudden noise from below. Gokudera froze. The next moment, Nana's voice was faintly heard,

"Ah, it looks like it'll have to be trashed. It's expired."

Exhaling slowly, Gokudera continued with his illegal inspection of the house. On a whim, he decided to investigate the room directly opposite the bathroom. He switched on the lights in the room and found himself in a typical bachelor's room. It was...really messy.

"So, this is her son's room." WIth a critical eye, he sifted through the contents of the table drawers and the wardrobes. He couldn't find anything significant or clues as to the identity of the mysterious son.

"Weird...the room's messy but there's nothing on this person. It's as if it was deliberate." Gokudera narrowed his eyes in suspicion. It was becoming highly likely that his host was indeed related to his assignment. So now what to do?

The door-bell rang and Gokudera bit off an expletive. The curtains had been closed but if the person was Sawada Tsunayoshi, he could only hope that he hadn't seen the lights from the street. He killed the lights, quickly shut the door and hurried down the stairs. Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, the door-bell rang again. This time, Nana responded;

"Coming!" And noises from the kitchen stopped. Gokudera realised that it was not possible for him to enter the living room without her seeing him. He would have to take a gamble. He called out to her from the hallway.

"No need, Maman! I'll take care of it. Please continue with your cooking."

"Oh thank you very much, Gokudera-san."

"No problem." Gokudera Hayato's palms were sweating; he had never felt this anxious before, other than in the presence of a certain woman. He wiped them dry on his pants, closed his eyes for a moment and opened the door with a clockwise twist of the door knob.

Though he had been expecting it, it was still a shock to see Sawada Tsunayoshi in the flesh right before him. He was with a young child. His instincts were yelling at him to eliminate the target _right now!_ But logic won out. Sawada Nana would have heard the scuffle and he didn't want to involve an innocent civilian even if she was related; she wasn't part of the mission after all. Gokudera mustered up a faint mockery of a smile and greeted him;

"Good evening. I hope you don't mind me imposing on your hospitality, Mr. Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Oh. Um, good evening to you too, Mr...?" Tsuna inwardly frowned at the sight of the stranger. Immediately suspicious at the stranger's knowledge of his name, he eyed the stylishly dressed slim grey-haired man carefully for any concealed weapons. Ever since the news a few days ago, Tsuna had been extremely cautious towards strangers, especially those who knew his name. On seeing the stranger, Reborn raised a eyebrow and wore a knowing smile that went unnoticed by both Tsuna and Gokudera who were both intent on scrutinising each other.

"I'm Gokudera Hayato. Your mother was very kind to invite me for dinner. Please come in." He moved out of the way to let the duo walk in. Tsuna sighed in exasperation, he really needed to have a talk with his mom about inviting random strangers into the house! He walked into the kitchen with an aggrieved expression.

"Mom! Can't you be more careful about inviting random strangers into our house? For all you know, he could be a criminal!"

"Tsuna! Don't you be so rude to our new guest! I can trust my feminine intuition about this guy. He's not dangerous." Nana huffed as she looked up from the cooking pan.

"Still!..." The door to the kitchen slid shut with a decisive sound and Reborn looked at Gokudera Hayato standing in the hallway with a blank face and cold eyes staring at where Tsuna used to be.

"Welcome, _Bomba Fumante_. You've made it further than most." Gokudera started with shock and stared at the young kid before him. He moved his hand to his jacket to retrieve his weapon and quickly aborted his move as he stared into the barrel of a gun pointed at his head. He had the feeling that if he made any sudden movements, the kid would kill him without any reservations.

"How is it that you know me? You're only a kid!"

"No, I'm just a home tutor. May I ask why a member of the Amaranta Famiglia, especially the son of the Don is here to assassinate Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

"...I can't tell you."

Reborn smiled.

"You really don't know. Doesn't it seem strange to you that you, the second-in-line for the Don position of the Amaranta Famiglia, has been sent to eliminate a legit Japanese man far from your home? Someone of a much lower rank would also have easily accomplished the job."

Gokudera was puzzled as to what the mafioso brat in front of him was getting at. The light glinted off a ring with an embedded yellow gem. The object on the kid's finger, combined with the fedora caused a flash of recognition to jolt through him.

"You're an Acrobaleno! The hitman Reborn, no less."

"Oh, you know of me? Good, that makes things easier for me." Unperturbed by his identification, Reborn motioned for Gokudera to move into the living room and sit on the sofa. Keeping a gun trained on him, he stood in front of Gokudera and stated his affiliation.

"Hitman Reborn from the Acrobaleno, formerly right-hand man of the 9th Don Vongola and currently tutor to 10th Don Vongola - Sawada Tsunayoshi. Nice to meet you."

Gokudera Hayato processed this information and his eyes nearly popped with the awful realization that he'd nearly caused a vendetta between the Amaranta and Vongola; the most powerful family in Rome. Aghast, he sank into the sofa and could only say,

"I didn't know any of this..."

"Well, too bad. It's my express obligation to eliminate any threat to the Vongola."

Gokudera realized with a sinking heart that he wouldn't live this one out. He looked back into his would-be killer's face. Reborn smirked and then, lifted the gun and pressed the trigger to release a spray of water. Gokudera simply stared with stupification.

"However, I may let you go free on the condition that you become Tsuna's Famiglia."

"...Thank you very much for your generosity but I still can't do what you say. I'm still part of the Amaranta." Gokudera refused to submit; his pride rising to the fore. Reborn's eyes turned cold and his rebuttal was quick and brutal.

"Is that true? Though you say that you're part of the Amaranta, your circumstances do not show that. In the past, you've distanced yourself from the clan and now, with this near-fiasco hanging over your head, do you think the Amaranta would welcome you back with open arms? You've essentially been abandoned like a dog. The next one will be for real."

"...ugh." Gokudera looked away from the cool, probing gaze in defeat and was silent for a few moments. He finally answered,

"Fine, I'll become Sawada's family but on one condition only. I still have my pride as a mafioso man!"

"Well said. Go on."

"I will join only if Sawada Tsunayoshi is able to defeat me in a death-duel as according to the mafia rules. If Sawada Tsunayoshi dies, I am to be a free man, is that clear?"

Reborn simply smiled, a chilling death smile and agreed.

"Done."

_**Bomba Fumante**_: Smoking Bomb


	9. At the Bridge

**Title:** At the Bridge

**Summary:** An unexpected confrontation! Nana really ought to be more careful about strangers...

**A/N:** Merry Christmas to you all! Enjoy the double chapter update as a christmas present. :) Please leave a review if you would like to wish me a merry christmas, haha. Actually. You don't have to, really. Just leave a review if you enjoyed the story. :)

* * *

**At the Bridge**

Tsuna couldn't enjoy his dinner despite his mom's delicious cooking. The faint hostility emanating from Gokudera sitting across him had upset his appetite. However, Reborn didn't seem bothered by Gokudera and was quite happily talking away with his mom. Gokudera scowled at him and Tsuna smiled uneasily as he stretched out his chopsticks to take more food. What an uncomfortable meal!

The meal didn't take long and no disasters occurred as they cleaned up the table. Surprisingly, Gokudera had also pitched in despite Nana's reservations about letting a guest to do housework. Tsuna wasn't sure whether he should be thankful or scared about that. Gokudera had indeed been quite efficient but it also seemed as if he would punch Tsuna any moment. Reborn was not being helpful at all, again.

"Take care, Gokudera-san! Thank you very much for helping to clean up." Nana politely bowed to Gokudera at the door. Gokudera smiled and sheepishly bowed his head,

"Sorry to trouble you, but I'm not sure how to go back to town."

"Well, my son can go with you then! Have a safe trip, both of you!" Nana reassured Gokudera and with unexpected strength, pushed Tsuna out of the door.

"W-wait! I didn't say that I would help Gokudera!" But the door had shut and Tsuna could not open the door despite his efforts. He really, really disliked the situation. Tsuna recalled with irritation that this was precisely why he'd moved out. He glanced at the indifferent Gokudera and sighed in resignation. Shoulders slumping, he walked past Gokudera onto the street and toward the main road. Gokudera rapidly fell in step beside him. The only sound from him was his quiet breathing and soft footsteps that echoed his own. Tsuna thought that it was like walking with a manifested shadow.

The fluorescent green numbers on his watch glowed brightly in the dim street light. It was almost midnight.

"We'd better hurry or you'll miss the last bus to the town center." Tsuna commented. He looked at Gokudera but he didn't seem to have heard him. Swallowing his apprehension, Tsuna lightly tapped Gokudera's shoulder and repeated,

"You'll miss the last bus if we don't hurry to the main road."

Gokudera immediately stiffened and abruptly batted Tsuna's hand away. He glared ferociously at Tsuna and he finally spoke,

"Don't touch me. I've come to kill you, not to make chit-chat."

"W-w-what?!" Tsuna slowly backed away from the angry man. The situation was turning rather bizaare and dangerous. Gokudera took out a cigarette and lit it with a silver lighter. He deeply inhaled the smoke and watched Tsuna with hostile eyes. He grimly said,

"Don't act stupid! I've been ordered to terminate you but that that was before I knew that you were the next 10th chief of the Vongola clan. Frankly, I would have had happily left you alone for that fact alone. But from what I've just seen so far, you are not suitable as a mafioso, much less the Don! So..._**DIE**_!"

In a flash, Gokudera had thrown six lit dynamites at Tsuna who was frozen with shock. It was only thanks to his survival instincts that Tsuna was able to escape from the resulting explosions. The little training Reborn had drilled into him seemed to have fled before the menacing visage of Gokudera laden with lit dynamites with crackling orange sparks lighting up the night. Tsuna didn't wait for Gokudera to attack again as he ran in the opposite direction of the main road, hoping to lose him among the familiar streets of Namimori. Surely, Gokudera wasn't as familiar with them. There was a muffled curse as the burning heat of the explosions licked at his heels a few moments later.

From behind the smoke, Gokudera watched Tsuna's small form disappear into the shadows. He swore a blistering litany of curses. He had lost precious few seconds in the missed attack. Plus, he was at a disadvantage in this unfamiliar terrain. Biting onto his cigarette, Gokudera dug out small dynamite sticks half his finger length and held them between his fingers. Without hesitation, he ran through the curtain of smoke after his target. However, he, like Tsuna, had been unaware of two pairs of eyes watching. Reborn jumped down from the tree branches with Leon perched on his fedora. He wasn't too worried about Tsuna's safety though.

"My idiot student does have the tendency to go against expectations. And with Gokudera's unstable temper right now... it's better not to take risks." On cue, Leon chirruped and he clambered down Reborn's arm and morphed into a green scooter beside him. He did not follow their tracks, opting to head toward the river canal nearby. Knowing Tsuna, his instincts would have brought him to a place with plenty of water to douse Smoking Bomb's flames.

If Tsuna had heard Reborn, he would have called it "Bullshit!". Nevertheless, all he knew was that he had to get away from Gokudera and somehow render the dynamites unusable. And well, find the nearest telephone booth to call the police of course! Tsuna kept his eyes peeled for the assassin and the white booth.

"This is the Tsubasa street...If I turn left here, it should bring me to the nearest phone!" Tsuna decisively ran down the left route toward the Namimori river canal. He could smell the faint salty tang of the river water closeby. Tsuna pumped his legs a bit faster and harder. He finally reached the empty road beside the river and momentarily paused to look for the telephone booth.

"There!" Tsuna felt relief on seeing the familiar white booth next to the bridge. He ran over to the booth and stretched out his hand to pull open the door. Then a tingling sensation ran up his spine. He jerked his hand back in the nick of time as the door handle exploded, showering him with plastic and glass shards.

"Aamph...!" Tsuna rolled to his feet and with a sinking heart, saw Gokudera in the distance, walking towards him with dynamites in hand. Gokudera lifted one hand and scattered the dynamites toward him.

"Die." Tsuna did precisely that as a gold bullet sank into his forehead. Eyes open and blank, Tsuna glimpsed Gokudera's face in the moonlight. Gokudera seemed regretful and sad. Then the disturbingly familiar sensation of Death engulfed Tsuna.

**BOOM**

"Che." Gokudera watched with solemn eyes at the resulting explosion. He had finally accomplished his original mission but the pyrrhic success was bitter in his mouth. If Reborn was right, he truly had nowhere to go. He sighed and walked away from the fire.

"No! I shall put out the fire!" Tsuna yelled as he shot out from the fire with singed clothes. Gokudera was shocked; no one had survived the explosions before.

"What the fuck--!" Gokudera automatically threw out more dynamites toward Tsuna. Tsuna observed the dynamites falling toward him. In his Dying-Will, the dynamites seemed literally suspended in air as he quickly snuffed the fire. As the defused dynamites fell with a harmless clatter on the ground, Tsuna was already charging toward Gokudera.

"Shit!" Tsuna was too fast for him to use the dynamites. Gokudera finally ditched them and prepared to engage Tsuna in hand combat. However, that was not Tsuna's intention. Ducking Gokudera's thrown punch and rolling over his kick, Tsuna deftly got round to his back. Tsuna crouched down and powerfully kicked Gokudera off the bridge into the waters below. As expected, a large water splash from the river successfully doused the thankfully small bonfire.

Hitting the cold water knocked the breath out of him. Gasping, he struggled to swim as the water seeped into the gunpowder in his dynamites and rendered them both useless and heavy. Gokudera was only able to keep his head above the water for a few seconds before he was dragged into the cold depths by the strong currents and the dead weight of the dynamites strapped around him. His fingers scrabbled helplessly against the dynamite straps which refused to give way. His legs were unable to keep him buoyant and precious air was escaping his lungs in a steady stream of bubbles.

_"So this is how I'm going to die? Uh, fitting that I should go by a watery death."_ Realising that there was nothing else he could do, Gokudera stopped his futile struggles and just laid still, gazing through the water at the full moon. As Gokudera floated downward, his vision was growing spotty from lack of oxygen. Then there was a soft splash and someone was beside him. Before he passed out, he was just able to catch a glimpse of Sawada Tsunayoshi's determined visage lit with a bright orange flame on his forehead.

_"An undying Sky flame...?"_

"Bwaugh!" Tsuna gasped for air as he finally emerged from the river with an unconscious Gokudera in his arms. Trudging slowly through the shallow water to the river bank, Tsuna finally laid his burden on the soil. The fire on his forehead extinguished with a quiet poof and he stumbled onto the ground as exhaustion overtook him. Tsuna checked Gokudera and was immensely relieved to see that he was still breathing. A shadow fell across both of them and Tsuna wearily looked up to see Reborn trotting down the slope.

"Well done, Tsuna." Reborn congratulated him as he crouched next to the unconscious Gokudera. With a familiar sadistic smile, Reborn delivered a resounding slap to Gokudera's cheek, rousing him to consciousness with a furious yell of pain.

"OW! Mother-!...Damn, it's you again, Reborn." Cupping his reddening left cheek, Gokudera scowled at the young boy sitting on a cushion-Leon. Reborn continued smiling.

"Don't forget our agreement."

"...Yes. I did give my word." Gokudera reluctantly agreed and turned to face Tsuna. Tsuna was intrigued by the conversation, just what had Reborn and Gokudera agreed on? He was removed from his musings by Gokudera's solemn vow. Gokudera bit his thumb open and as blood dripped from his extended hand onto the soil in between Tsuna and Gokudera, Gokudera spoke,

"I, Gokudera Hayato, solemnly swear to serve Don Sawada Tsunayoshi as his _Famiglia_. May my flesh burn and bleed if I betray th-"

"Wait! Why are you swearing loyalty to me as if I were a mafia Don? I'm only just a ordinary man." Tsuna shook his head, running a hand through his limp wet hair in disbelief. Gokudera frowned in bemusement.

"But I'm supposed to do this. You defeated me, therefore, I have to swear loyalty to you as I currently have no affiliations."

"What do you mean?" Tsuna was unaccustomed to the bizaare rules of the mafia. Reborn tsked and tugged on Tsuna's hair to get his attention. Reborn finally explained to his charge,

"It's the mafia law which applies to all Famiglia including the Vongola. If the leader, which is you, defeats another who has no affiliations, the unaffiliated one must swear loyalty to the leader and be part of his famiglia."

"But, but, I'm not even the boss! I'm pretty sure that Gokudera doesn't want to do this either." Tsuna protested with shock. He didn't want any followers!

"Pish-posh! How can you ever hope to claim your right if you don't even start building your Famiglia?" Reborn thwacked Tsuna upside the head in annoyance. Then there was a snort. Tsuna looked at Gokudera again. Gokudera was amused and he said,

"Well, I don't mind actually. Although you defeated me, you saved me from drowning when you could have left me to die instead. So until then, I'll be your Famiglia, Tenth Boss."

"Oh, uh, are you really _sure_ about that? I'll do fine without a Famiglia..."

"Out of question!" The usually fierce Gokudera came to the fore and he leveled a glare at Tsuna. He cringed and gave in.

_" He's still very scary!"_ He thought.

"Oh darn, all my cigarrettes are spoilt." Gokudera softly groaned in irritation as he peeled the soggy packet away from his jacket's pocket lining. After some consideration, he smiled brightly and said,

"I probably should return to town. See you then."

"Uh yeah, bye." Tsuna waved as he watched Gokudera walk away, sopping wet. Then he realised something.

"Oh no, Gokudera, wait! The bus's already gone! Stop!" Tsuna gave chase. Reborn rolled his eyes and started for Nana's residence. He would just leave the two to their own devices for the moment as the danger had passed. And besides, wasn't there a really good sushi shop open 24/7 nearby?


	10. Baseball and Sushi

**Title:** Baseball and Sushi

**Summary:** A new candidate for the Vongola Famiglia appears! Reborn, how are you going to get him to join?

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! As always, please leave a comment if you have anything to say on the story. :)

* * *

**Baseball and Sushi**

The insistent ringing of his alarm clock hammered away at his head, forcing him to wake. Tsuna yawned loudly as he stretched his sore body. The delicious smell of breakfast was wafting into his bedroom from below. His stomach growled and nudged him out of bed. On autopilot mode, Tsuna successfully maneuvered the staircase and avoided bumping into the glass door that separated the kitchen from the living room. He flopped down into a chair and a cup of hot coffee was shoved into his hands. It smelt really good and helped to energise him. He sipped it and sighed with deep gratitude.

"Thanks for the coffee, it was really good! Mo-"

"Really? That's great! I was worried that you wouldn't enjoy the coffee brew from Italy, Sawada-san."

An unexpected voice replied good-naturedly. The caffeine and shock kicked in, startling Tsuna wide awake and he saw Gokudera Hayato sitting at the table across him. He was dressed in some of his father's old clothes and he had tied his hair up into a ponytail.

"GAAHH!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?"

Tsuna jumped up from the chair and held out a hand as if to ward him off. His other hand was preoccupied with holding the cup of coffee. Gokudera was going to reply but Nana had already answered,

"Gokudera-kun and you both returned last night sopping wet. It was already too late to catch a bus or a taxi, so he might as well stay over for the night."

"Oh, yeah...now I remember."

Tsuna softly spoke as he looked over to Gokudera who was devouring his breakfast hungrily. How was he going to explain to Mom that they would be seeing a lot of Gokudera for quite some time to come? He still couldn't believe that he had somehow managed to convert an assassin to his side after the eventful last night. He sighed with resignation, he would just deal with all this at a more opportune time, like say, after breakfast.

"So, Sawada-san, are you really the candidate for the Vongola Boss position?"

Gokudera whispered once Nana had turned her back to clean the dishes. At the sudden question, Tsuna fumbled with the spoon, accidentally spilling some milk. It was the first time that someone, other than Reborn, had actually asked him about his so-called true identity. He stammered,

"W-well, actually, I'm not really sure. It was all very sudden. Reborn had appeared suddenly and informed me about my position. Although, it's already been a couple of months, it's still very new and frightening to me..."

Tsuna fiddled with the spoon for a moment, thinking carefully about his feelings and decisions. Coming to a decision with a clarity of mind, he concluded,

"Even if I'm the 10th Vongola Don, I will not change myself."

"...I see." Gokudera accepted his answer and leant backwards into his chair. Though Sawada Tsunayoshi was far what he had expected from a future Boss candidate, there was something about the calm, firm finality of his words that told him that Sawada Tsunayoshi was not to be easily trifled with. Gokudera relaxed; it seemed that he had found a good boss.

"It will be my honour to serve you, Sawada-san."

"...Thank you, Gokudera-san." Tsuna gave a small smile to his first ally.

* * *

After a quick breakfast, Gokudera had departed from the house with a polite thank-you and a promise to visit again. Nana had left earlier in order to buy groceries and had reminded Tsuna to clean up the dishes once everyone including Reborn, had eaten. Tsuna watched Gokudera go in the direction of the town with mixed feelings. It was still too early to feel that he could trust this man, the dangerous Smoking Bomb as Reborn had called him. However, Tsuna remembered that small glimpse of Gokudera's face the previous night. It was not a killer's face.

"Ano, Reborn, Gokudera seemed sad, didn't he?"

Tsuna questioned as Reborn wandered into the kitchen with an empty cup in hand. He went straight for the coffee machine and made himself some espresso. He sipped the hot drink to taste and when he found that it was satisfactory, Reborn gulped it down despite the almost boiling temperature of the beverage.

"Hmm...who knows? I must thank Gokudera for his excellent coffee the next time I see him."

Tsuna let his head fall forward onto the table with a loud _thunk_. He should have known by now, that Reborn wouldn't give him a straight answer. He turned his head and looked at the wall of local news that hid his tutor. Reborn was still drinking the espresso. It was just like Reborn to have his coffee strong, black and without sugar. Tsuna was compelled to ask,

"Isn't drinking coffee like that bad for your body, especially since you're so young?"

"It's _espresso_, not coffee."

"What?"

The newspapers rustled and Reborn gave him an eloquent my-god-are-you-retarded _look_ with one eyebrow raised. Tsuna suddenly felt like a high school student. Reborn tapped his cup and repeated,

"This drink is called E-S-P-R-E-S-S-O, espresso. It's not just any coffee."

"Oh. Is that so?"

"Yes. It's imperative that you should know about these little things that make up the italian culture. If you want to become the Don Vongola _Decimo_, you will have to convince others, especially within the mafia that you have Italian blood. Otherwise, it's _buona notte_ for you, Japanese Salaryman..."

In a sharp flick of his wrist, Reborn had thrown a chopstick at Tsuna. The slender tool flew perilously close to Tsuna's wide eyes as it passed by his head at high speed. It embedded itself in the wall behind him with a loud _crack_.

"Just. Like. That."

Reborn lowered his hand. Tsuna swallowed down the lump in his throat and honestly asked in curiousity,

"S-so then, what are the different types of coffee?"

Reborn smiled at this attempt to learn and replied,

"The next time we go out to the city, I'll show you. By the way, please inform Nana-san that I'll be out for the whole day."

"Where are you going?"

"Oh, I'm just going to see a baseball game and have a taste of the local delicacies."

"I see...Take care, Reborn."

Tsuna advised, despite its redundancy in the face of Reborn's masterly skills. Reborn smirked and tipped his fedora toward Tsuna in acknowledgement. Just as he left the kitchen, Reborn added,

"The espresso won't affect my body like it would for an ordinary child."

Then the young assassin in a child's body was gone. Tsuna gazed at the kitchen door for a few moments in puzzlement at Reborn's last words, before directing his gaze to the wall behind him.

The chopstick had been thrown with such force and speed that it had sunk a few centimeters into the plaster before the plastic shattered under the huge stress. Fine hairline cracks spidered outwards from the small stump in the wall. On a closer look to better assess the damage Reborn had caused, Tsuna had to smile wryly in admiration. Reborn truly had excellent aim; the chopstick had pinned a spider to the wall.

* * *

_"AND ONCE AGAIN, THE TOKYO SWALLOWS HAVE STRUCK A HOMERUN!!!"_

The commentator's exuberant announcement sent the spectators into a frenzy and the lone batter jogged down the length of the diamond, energetically waving to the cheering audience. The opposing team, Hanshin Tigers slumped in dejection even as their loyal fans valiantly supported them.

Reborn folded his arms as he leant back in his box-seat. Obtaining a ticket to front-row seats had not been too difficult; he had filched it off a careless fan's open pocket earlier. Though the view was great, it was really noisy and hot under the afternoon sun. Reborn muttered a curse and loosened his tie in an attempt to cool off.

"The Tokyo Swallows are pretty amazing, aren't they?" A male voice lightly commented. Reborn considered the words carefully and replied,

"The batter seemed a bit shaky the last few rounds. I think it was only luck he managed to hit a homerun."

"Hmm, you're quite right! You've got some sharp eyes there, kid."

Reborn looked out from the corner of his left eye. It was a tall, atheletic man with a friendly disposition. He was handsome in the guy-next-door way.

Apparently, Reborn seemed to have passed the stranger's secret test. In the next moment, he found himself engaged in an enlightening discussion on the players' strengths and weaknesses. He was mildly startled by the ease the stranger had lulled him into nearly dropping his guard. Reborn hid his glee on finding a potential family member. Suddenly, there was new excitement around him. Tensing, Reborn saw in a glance that a stray baseball was flying in their direction. He would have ducked the next moment if not for an outstretched arm in front of him.

"My, my, that was dangerous! Are you alright, little guy?"

The stranger queried as he hefted the captive baseball in his right hand. A player on the field yelled out to him, waving his gloved hand in the air. The young man smiled and stood up, rearing back to ready his throw. Then he _threw_. His arm whipped forward faster than normal people could see and the baseball zoomed with unerring accuracy towards the outstretched gloved hand. Reborn watched with great interest as the baseball hit the player's hand hard, knocking his arm backward. The ball ricocheted skywards and the hapless player had to scramble for the ball.

"Whoops. I threw too hard again!"

The young man apologetically said as he rubbed his right arm with a wince. Reborn hid a gleeful smile and asked,

"Did you hurt your right arm?"

"Ah? Oh, this is a really old injury I got when I was still playing baseball in middle school. Every now and then, if I strain it too much, it'll hurt a lot. You're pretty sharp, little guy!"

The young man sat down again as he carefully stretched his right arm. He scrunched his face as if he was trying to recall something.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet! I'm Yamamoto Takeshi, nice to meet you!"

Yamamoto offered a hand and Reborn shook it firmly.

"Ciaossu. I'm Reborn."

* * *

"Oh wow, so you decided to come alone? You're pretty gutsy."

Yamamoto said as he strolled beside Reborn. Interested by his new find, Reborn had decided to tag Yamamoto Takeshi to learn more about him. This was so he could make a well-informed judgement as to whether Yamamoto would be suitable as part of Tsuna's famiglia. The issue of Yamamoto's nationality would not be held against him, considering the exceptional circumstances.

"It's of no big issue. I am capable of taking care of myself."

Reborn replied as he observed Yamamoto's movements. Yamamoto moved with an easy, careless grace. His awareness of his surroundings were also top-notch as he easily side-stepped other people in the crowd as Yamamoto carried out a conversation with Reborn.

"You live in Namimori? Hmm, that's quite lucky!"

Yamamoto was pleasantly surprised by this fact. He informed Reborn that he also lived in Namimori, not too far from where Reborn stayed with Tsunayoshi and Nana.

"Pops and I own a sushi restaurant called, "Takesushi". You've heard of it?"

Reborn slowly nodded. He was a bit surprised by the coincidence. He had been planning to visit Takesushi on Nana's recommendation after the baseball game. Yamamoto grinned.

"Great! Say what, I'll treat you to some sushi once we get to Takesushi. You must be feeling hungry by now."

"I am feeling hungry. Thank you very much for your invitation."

Reborn politely thanked him. However, he didn't inform him that a lady carrying a styrofoam cup of hot tea, while chatting on her handphone, was going to crash into Yamamoto from behind. Normal people would have been unable to avoid the collision but not Yamamoto. As if he could predict the lady behind, Yamamoto took a step to the right, letting the other person from the front, walk past him and into the lady behind. The resulting chaos were hilarious and Reborn was impressed.

Consider Yamamoto's Mafia Entry Exam as a Pass with flying colours!

* * *

Takesushi was more like a sushi bar than a restaurant. Pushing the long _noren_ curtains aside, Reborn took in the traditional Japanese decor of the sushi bar. They were early for there were no other customers. Yamamoto brushed past him and cheerfully greeted the solitary chef cleaning and sharpening his knives behind the bar. Reborn's eyes widened as he recognised the man from several years before when he was still in the body of a baby.

"_Tadaima_, Pops!"

"_Okaeri_, Takeshi! Who's your new friend?"

Like his son, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi was tall and friendly. However, he was more jagged around the edges with age and experience. Reborn introduced himself, saving Takeshi the trouble,

"Yamamoto-san, I am Reborn. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hmm...? Reborn eh?"

Tsuyoshi smiled and for a brief moment, a gleam of the ruthless swordmaster was in his eye. Reborn tilted his head a fraction of an inch in acknowledgement of the last Shigure Souen Master. Then Tsuyoshi instructed Takeshi to change into his work uniform and get behind the bar fast.

"Yes, yes, I know!"

Takeshi laughed and slapped Reborn on his shoulder before he went into the back to change. As soon as Takeshi was gone, Tsuyoshi laid down his knife on the chopping board and questioned Reborn.

"Aahh, if you're asking me to help you with some mission, I have to respectfully decline, Acrobaleno."

Reborn shook his head.

"No, that's not what I've come here for, Yamamoto-san. I wasn't actually expecting to meet the last Shigure Souen master in ths place."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Your son shows great promise. I believe that he would be a suitable guardian for my charge, Sawada Tsunayoshi, son of Sawada Iemitsu."

"..."

Tsuyoshi was silent as Reborn steadily looked at him in expectation. He picked up the knife again and hefted it in his open palm, expertly feeling and balancing the weight of steel.

"I was expecting this to happen for some time. As a father, I do not want Takeshi to be involved in this mess but he will soon have to face his true path."

"I'm sorry."

Reborn offered a contrite apology.

"No. You shouldn't be. But let me warn you, Takeshi will be hard to convince. He's had a hard time both physically and psychologically when he injured his arm."

"...I see. Thanks for warning me in advance."

Tsuyoshi simply smiled sadly.

_fin_

* * *

**espresso** - very concentrated coffee that is made by forcing steam through the ground coffee and collecting the seeped hot coffee. It was invented in Italy.

**Decimo** - italian for tenth

**Buona Notte**- Good Night

**noren**- If you've ever been to a Japanese restaurant, noren are the curtains that hang in front of the entrance. They are usually decorated with the logo of the restaurant or its name in calligraphy.

**Tadaima** - I'm home!

**Okaeri**- Welcome back!

**Side notes**

In the Mafia, it is true that the members must have Italian blood. Some gangs require that both parents be Italian while others only require the father to be Italian. The more traditional mafia will only accept those who come from an Italian family that has been established for a fairly long time.

Hanshin Tigers are a baseball team from Osaka while Tokyo Yakult Swallows is a team from Tokyo. I removed the Yakult part because I thought the name didn't sound so great with it.


	11. End of Summer

**Title:** End of Summer

**Rating:** PG

**A/N:** Happy New Year! Enjoy the next two chapters of "The Vongola Throne". Please review! :)

* * *

**End of Summer**

After Reborn had left, Tsuna cleaned the dishes as per his mothers' instructions before he left for Kyoko's house as usual. It was with a solemn mood as he navigated the usual route to the more posh part of town. Reborn's earlier demonstration reminded Tsuna that he was still a far cry from being a suitable candidate for the Don position.

Was he even really sure that he wanted it? Especially when it entailed the _other _side of which he still knew little. Goodness, an ordinary clerk becoming a feared Lord of the Underworld was quite ridiculous! Tsuna shook his head in depreciation. At the moment, he was most glad not to have to deal with Gokudera Hayato who had seemed so intent to work for him. Gokudera's reaction would have been...disastrously explosive.

Tsuna sighed, he wished to have someone who would understand his troubles. Dragging his feet as he bypassed the gate with a swipe of his access card, Tsuna raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Good morning, Tsuna. I saw you enter the gate and you seemed depressed. Is something troubling you?"

Kyoko had opened the door before Tsuna got the chance to knock. Her eyebrows were knitted in a concerned frown. Noting that Kyoko was dressed a simple blouse and a denim skirt, Tsuna shyly evaded,

"U-um, it's nothing of importance really, K-Kyoko-san."

"...If you say so, Tsuna. Please remember that I'll lend a listening ear if you have any problems."

Kyoko wasn't convinced by Tsuna's reply but decided not to push the issue, seeing his obvious distress. Tsuna coughed in surprise at her offer.

"But it isn't appropriate! I'm just your bodyguard."

Kyoko chuckled.

"Pish, not really... Hana's more like my bodyguard and you're my secretary instead! It's really funny that you act as if you aren't strong at all while Hana's roaring away at incompetents when she's actually a softie at heart. Nevertheless, Hana's my friend and so are you...aren't you?"

Tsuna stifled a pained groan at Kyoko's observation. But he was caught by Kyoko's searching, honest and kind gaze. He looked back into her beautiful brown eyes that still sent his heart beating faster and opened his mouth to reply.

"I...The truth is..."

The sound of car wheels screeching on tar, cut in and Kyoko's attention was diverted by Hana's call. Hana was excited.

"Hey, Kyoko! Great news! You've just been selected for the main role in a new film, "My Girlfriend's a Yakuza". You get to play a waitress who's actually a yakuza and your co-star is the dreamy, heart-throb Saori Ihara!"

"What! Really!?! I must see this!"

Kyoko gasped in delighted surprise and she pushed past Tsuna to get to the car. Hana shifted her attention to Tsuna and sharply reminded him to get in the car for Kami's sake!

Seated in the back of the car with Kyoko, Tsuna looked out the window with mixed feelings. He was immensely relieved that he hadn't revealed his true heritage to Kyoko. He also had the funny feeling that he might have nearly spilled his former feelings for Kyoko. Argh, it was no good! Tsuna leant his forehead against the window, letting the cool glass soothe his chaotic thoughts with little effect.

Kyoko hummed as she flipped through the script, her gentle song mixing with the engine's roar. Tsuna closed his eyes and quietly listened to her song. It was, after all, the end of summer.

* * *

The Roppongi district crackled with energy as the crowds filled the neon-lit streets. The traffic roar mixed with the grating sound of music echoing from open doors of dim bars filled with cigarrette smoke and booze. A particular bar called _Ambra Vigneto, _was filled with mostly italian foreigners. The bartender was also italian. Unlike other bars in the area, there were no karaoke boxes and it was quiet with low murmurs of rapid italian fom cande-lit tables. The Italian preferred discreetness over public entertainment and it suited Gokudera Hayato just fine.

"_Benvenuto Signore. Cosa vuole da bere?"_

The bartender greeted Gokudera in fluent italian as he meandered his way to the bar. Gokudera curtly nodded in greeting and replied,

"_Vorrei del caffé correto, per favore. Grazie mille."_

"_Si, Signore._"

The bartender started up the coffee machine to prepare a small cup of espresso. As the machine whirred away quietly, the bartender quickly selected a small bottle of honey-golden _grappa_ and held it up for Gokudera's approval. At his nod, the bartender thumbed the attached nozzle open. Taking the cup from the machine, he expertly splashed the precise, correct amount of alcohol into the espresso. The beverage still steaming, the bartender placed it in front of Gokudera. Gokudera took the cup and sipped it.

The aromatic taste of coffee was strong while the fruitier and sharper taste of the grappa subtly overlaid his palate. Gokudera licked his lips in satisfaction. He smiled at the bartender in thanks. As the bartender turned away, Gokudera looked around the italian bar with some nostalgia. It had the authentic italian touch but it still couldn't replace the same environment back in Lombard.

At the thought of his former home, Gokudera was regretful that he could never go back to the forests and see the autumn leaves again. His mood hardened as he reminded himself that he'd cut all his ties with his family before his father threw him out anyway. It was better to walk away on your feet, he thought.

Gokudera took another sip, letting the alcohol tame his thoughts. And now he found himself working for Sawada Tsunayoshi at Reborn's behest. If the Acrobaleno had been telling the truth, Gokudera wanted to verify it himself. There had been no such pertinent news or well, rumours, on the grapevine surrounding the Vongola clan before he left just a week ago. It was hard to imagine that Sawada Tsunayoshi was a legitimate heir but he saw those orange flames surrounding him, didn't he?

He couldn't remember those muddled moments in the canal clearly but Gokudera distinctly recalled the strong flames that were undoused by water and did not burn him; instead cradling him in protective warmth and propelling him to the surface. The _look _in Sawada's eyes was the same as the glint in his late grandfather's eye when he was the Don. The old Don had inspired awe in the impressionable child with his strong, ringing voice as he commanded his subordinates with firm, determined eyes.

So perhaps, the acrobaleno was indeed correct. However, it didn't hurt to be confirm the news with the source itself. As if reading Gokudera's mind, the bartender passed the phone to him, murmuring,

"A call for you, sir."

"Ah, _Grazie_." Gokudera was immediately on guard at the suspicious call. How did the caller know where to find him?

"Who's this?"

"This is your client. _Bomba Fumante_. You did not fulfill the mission." A low voice growled into his ear. Gokudera's eyes widened before narrowing in indignation.

"And whose fault is that? The target was not staying at the address given in the report. It was meant to be a simple hit-and-run. I was not given the resources to orchestrate a manhunt in the middle of fucking Tokyo!"

As his angry spiel ended, the client was quiet for a few moments and replied slowly,

"In that case, I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience." Gokudera relaxed slightly. A brief rustle that sounded like paper being rifled through filtered in from the background.

"However, it still does not excuse the fact that the target's still alive which is a bit of a problem. This is _not_ acceptable. I have also received reports that you are no longer fit to carry out the job. Hence, as of now, you're fired."

Gokudera rolled his eyes at this proclamation; he'd already decided to quit the mission halfway through his tiresome speech.

"May I also add something? You are no longer welcome in Italy. In fact, I think you'll find it quite hard to enter through Italy's gates with the _Polizia _forces including the _Arma dei Carabinieri_ out for your head as you have been charged with the murder of quite a few important government officials. _Arrivederci _or _Sayonara_ as the japanese would say, Bomba Fumante."

A click and a ringing tone effectively ended the conversation as Gokudera sat numbly in shock. In a daze, he dropped the phone together with the payment onto the bartop and staggered out of the bar. The cold air was a physical shock but it was nothing compared to the numbness that dulled his thought processes. In contrast, his feelings were swirling chaotically and choked his throat.

"My god. What am I going to _do_?" The silent moon did not offer any answers to the young foreigner standing alone on the street, in the middle of a strange, foreign land.

* * *

It had been quite a busy day and it was now closing hours. Reborn yawned unabashedly and flexed his arms. Being a waiter was quite tiring as he had to control his dangerous reflexes in the unfamiliar and crowded setting where one could easily sneak up on him. It was really quite terrible when all the obaa-sans and onee-sans kept fussing over him. What the hell was with the Japanese's preoccupation with all things cute?!? In his tired state, he almost didn't sense the young Yamamoto walk up behind him and slap him on the back.

"Thanks for your help! It was a pleasant change for once, not to be hassled by the customers. They really liked you! Would you like me to walk you back home? It will be dangerous for you in the evening."

Reborn relaxed his body and awkwardly smiled.

"It was no problem. I can get home by myself, you'll need to help your father clean up." Takeshi raised an eyebrow and looked over to his father sitting on an empty chair.

"Pops?"

"Naw, I don't need your help to clean up. It would be safer if Takeshi goes with you though, Reborn." Tsuyoshi lied as he looked at Reborn. Takeshi grinned.

"See? It'll be better for you if you get some company." Reborn rolled his eyes like a child would and saw from the corner of his eye, Tsuyoshi get up and walk away with a wreary sigh. Takeshi didn't notice as he steered the young assassin out of the cosy sushi bar.

_I'm really sorry that your son will have to join the dangerous world you once rejected..._

_**fin**_

* * *

**  
Ambra Vigneto** - Amber Vineyard  
**  
Benvenuto Signore. Cosa vuole da bere? - **Welcome, sir. What drink would you like?  
**  
Vorrei del caffé correto, per favore. Grazie mille. **- I'll have a caffé correto, please. Thank you very much.

**Si, Signore. - **Yes, sir.  
**  
Grappa - **a grape-based pomace brandy. For more info, go to my profile.

**caffé correto** - coffee laced with grappa/brandy  
**  
****Bomba Fumante - **Smoking Bomb  
**  
Polizia - **Police

**Arma dei Carabinieri** - Military police branch. For more info, go to my profile  
**  
Arrivederci** (Italian) / **Sayonara** (Japanese) - Farewell


	12. Andante

Title: Andante

Rating: PG

A/N: Happy New Year! A double chapter bonus for this special occasion. Please review. :)

* * *

**Andante**

The sun was rapidly setting; the shadows growing longer in the dimming orange light. Reborn and Yamamoto walked in companiable silence towards the Sawada house; Yamamoto's longer stride easily keeping pace with Reborn's smaller steps. Reborn looked up at Yamamoto carefully, keeping Tsuyoshi's words in mind. He would not have known that Yamamoto had bore a grievous hurt in the past due to his cheerful attitude and physical prowess earlier. This required further investigation before he could be fully confident of Yamamoto Takeshi's ability to perform as Don Vongola's Famiglia.

"Hmm? Have I got something on my face?" Yamamoto inquired curiously when he noticed that the young child was staring at him. Reborn shook his head slowly before he piped up innocently,

"If you are so good at baseball, then why didn't you join? You managed to knock Hanshin Swallow's ace pitcher off guard earlier."

If Reborn hadn't been watching for it, he would have missed the slight pause in Yamamoto's step though he answered without hesitation,

"Thanks! Well, I did think of going professional but later, I felt that it wasn't for me. Besides, I have to help Pops with the family business, you know?"

"...oh." Reborn was mildly impressed with Yamamoto's smooth evasion but he wasn't going to let it go so easily. He pursued with faked child-like stubborn curiosity.

"Why did you feel that it was not for you?"

Now then, Yamamoto did falter visibly, his smile frozen and he nearly tripped.

"...are you ok?"

"Oh, kiddo. You don't want to know the answer." Yamamoto looked at Reborn in the eye, his eyes now empty and flat. Reborn stubbornly jutted his chin and crossed his arms.

"Try me."

"..." Yamamoto examined Reborn before him, the foreign child not flinching under his scrutiny. His dark, adult-like eyes gave away nothing. Yamamoto finally replied,

"Perhaps. But I don't think I can trust you yet, even though you are a child."

Reborn had to sigh in frustration as Yamamoto started to walk again, his questions unanswered. Sometimes, being a child was really limited your options. He would have to try it from another angle since the direct approach didn't work...The rest of the walk fell into silence again as Reborn mulled over his next plans.

* * *

_Earlier that day..._

Upon reaching Nippon Hoso Kyokai, the trio had been escorted to one of the larger conference rooms in the building. It offered a spectacular view of the bustling Shibuya districtwith floor-to-ceiling windows for the entire span of the room. If Tsuna looked down from the panoramic view, he would see thousands of milling coloured dots moving in overwhelming waves, halted only by the traffic lights. Tsuna returned his attention to the discussion between Kyoko and the film director Noburo Fukumoto.

The film director was actually a woman, much to his suprise considering that the name usually belonged to men. She was slightly younger than his mother and had a vivacious personality that belied her stern appearance enhanced by her black-rimmed square spectacles.

"I'm glad that you selected Kyoko to play the lead role in your new film, "My Girlfriend's a Yakuza", Fukumoto-san. May I ask why you wanted her to play such a dramatically different role from the usual character she plays? Someone like Abuhara Ginko, would have been a better choice."

Hana questioned Fukumoto with some skepticism. Kyoko flushed slightly, embarassed by her secretary's forthrightness. Fukumoto laughed cheerfully and replied,

"That's precisely why I wanted her to play the role! You see, "Akemi" is not the usual run-of-the-mill Yakuza heiress you see in so many colourless shows currently. She is a proper, ladylike woman who doesn't want to become the leader of her clan because she hates what the yakuza does as a living. Ginko would not have been able to portray the complex and gentle nature of Akemi like Kyoko can."

"I see." "Oh! Thank you for giving me the chance to act in your film."

Both Hana and Kyoko were smiling at Fukumoto's explanation. In the meantime, Tsuna was struck by the irony of the situation. Little did the occupants of the spacious room know that a real-life "Akemi" was sitting in the very same room with them! Tsuna stifled a nervous giggle. He glanced out of the window towards the general direction of Namimori and wondered what Reborn would have thought.

"Ok. I'll expect you to be at the first destination listed in the itinerary in two weeks. Akagi, please."

Tsuna sidled closer to Kyoko's side as the door swung open to let in a bookish young man holding a folder. He politely bowed before he passed the folder to Hana. Akagi bowed again and quicky left the room without a word. Hana looked at the closing door with a raised eyebrow.

"Gee, Akagi doesn't speak much, does he?"

Fukumoto nodded and sighed ruefully,

"He's very proper about ettiquette. But Akagi's efficient and really, really good at what he does."

"Hmm."

Fukumoto clapped her hands once and stood up, extending her hand to Kyoko.

"I look forward to working together with you, Kyoko."

Kyoko also stood up and shook her hand with a smile. She confidently replied,

"The same to you, Fukumoto-san."

And so, Tsuna had been stuck people-watching outside of the locked room as Kyoko practiced her new script inside. Not even Hana had been allowed inside but at least, she had the luxury to go and perform her other duties such as seeing to Kyoko's hectic schedule and keeping in touch with important people. Tsuna was practically a nobody in the Nippon Hoso Kyokai building, as the staff, including famous celebrities (_was that Utada Hikaru?_) walked up and down the corridor. He was used to this feeling of being ignored like part of the background; it wasn't as bad as middle and high school though.

"Oooohhh, it's you again. Kyoko's new pet." A familiar voice trilled behind him. Tsuna flicked his eyes from one end of the corridor to the opposite end. It was Takada Yumiko again.

"Takada-san."

Yumiko strutted in her black stiletto heels towards Tsuna. She was dressed in a lacy black top that left little to imagination and a red leather mini-skirt. She stood in front of Tsuna with arms akimbo, her long purple manicured fingernails digging deeply in the leather of her skirt.

"Hmph. What's this I hear about Fukumoto choosing Kyoko as her main star in the new upcoming film? And with Saori Ihara too! I can't believe she got it just like _**that**_. I hope she breaks like her namesake during the filming."

Yumiko's voice was bitter with seething spite. Tsuna winced slightly. He looked at Yumiko and remembered what he had done to her with guilt. It had been too extreme and uncalled for.

"Erm, Takada-san...I'm sorry about the last time when I threw the tissue ball at you."

Yumiko was taken aback by the unexpected meek apology from Kyoko's pet. She narrowed her eyes at him before deciding that he was apparently sincere.

"...Well. Whatever."

Yumiko threw the door with Kyoko's name on it a dirty look before striding down the corridor, her red heels clacking loudly against the floor. Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't like dealing with Takada Yumiko's antagonistic personality at all. But he had to wonder why Yumiko disliked Kyoko so much...

"Ok, let's go for a break, Tsuna! I'm finished with the first half of the script."

Kyoko tapped Tsuna on his left shoulder. She waved her purse at him with a smile.

"Did something happen while I was practicing?"

Tsuna's lips quirked into a faint smile as he gave a small white lie of omission,

"No, nothing of importance happened... Where shall we eat?"

"We can eat at Nabeya in Otsuka. They serve very good nabe stew!"

* * *

Gokudera picked up a stray stone and bounced it across the lake in the same park where he met Sawada Nana. The lake was fed by the artificial river he saw earlier and was not blocked off by the railings. The stone only bounced twice before sinking into the clear water. The setting sun caused dazzling reflections on the lake's calm surface that hid turbulent currents. Gokudera's stomach growled.

Pathetic. To be reduced to such a shameful state...! He couldn't get a job without a work permit and his foreign appearance deterred many from hiring him. Gokudera buried his head in his calloused hands. He could only kill with these scarred hands... He cursed his employer ferociously in staccato italian for the hundreth time before his breath ran out.

Panting, Gokudera gazed at the lake and the bare trees with few red autumn leaves hanging on their branches. A soft breeze dislodged a fiery red leaf and it drifted onto the lake, floating towards Gokudera. A faint memory rose in his mind. Gokudera smiled.  
_  
A bene placido veramente..._

His pale hands flexed in the orange light once before disappearing into the lengthening shadows.

* * *

_**"A bene placido veramente..." **_- Up to the performer indeed...


	13. Sawada Tsunayoshi and The Aoyagi Clan

**Title: **Sawada Tsunayoshi and The Aoyogi Clan

**Author:** Ofphenwa

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Note:** Sorry for the late update. I've been quite busy preparing to go overseas for my future studies and it's been quite nerve-wracking since it's a BIG adjustment for me. I'm really sorry if I kept you hanging for weeks. Hopefully, when I'm more adjusted, I can update more frequently. Thank you for reading. :)

* * *

**Sawada Tsunayoshi and The Aoyagi Clan**

In the past few weeks, Tsuna had been incredibly busy ever since Kyoko landed the starring role of the new upcoming film, "My Girlfriend's a Yakuza". It was really quite amazing just how much work and chaos went on behind the scenes. Right now, they were filming the introduction of the film at the beautiful Aoyagi Manor in Kakunodate, Akita; which meant that he now had to stay at a hotel along with the crew. It was really impractical and expensive to keep commuting from Tokyo to Akita daily after all. Tsuna didn't mind this since he got to see the really exquisite sights of Kakunodate with its hundreds of sakura trees lining the streets. It was a pity that it was now autumn. It would have been spectacular to see the sakura blossoms festooning the trees like a delicate pink veil.

As he carefully balanced the tray filled with cups of hot coffee, Tsuna carefully navigated his way among the equipment and the people towards the Main House. Kyoko, dressed in a traditional kimono saw him approaching and waved to him with a smile. Tsuna shyly smiled back as he moved forward with the tray and handed a cup to Kyoko. She took the coffee and sipped it with a grateful sigh.

"Ah… It's really good to have a hot drink especially on a cold day, don't you think?"

Tsuna finished handing out the cups and sat down beside Kyoko with the tray on his lap. He replied,

"Yes, it's important to stay warm. My mother always tells me to cover up every time she calls from home. It can get a bit annoying sometimes." Kyoko chuckled and looked out at the grounds before them with a smile.

"It's good to know that your mother cares for you very much. I have an elder brother who also cares for me very much but he's been away for quite a while. I worry so much about him."

"You have a brother?" Tsuna was surprised at this information. He never knew that Kyoko had an older brother before! And this was despite the fact he had been class-mates with Kyoko in high school. He secretly groaned. Way to go!

Kyoko put down the cup and held it with two hands, her thumbs rubbing the surface in agitation. She replied with an embarrassed flush,

"Um well, it's not surprising that you don't know. I never made that knowledge very well known considering what Ryohei-kun is like. He's not a very conventional person, prone to loud outbursts. It's so embarrassing, really. But…I really care about him just as much as he cares for me."

"I see. Thank you for telling me." Tsuna felt quite relieved but his curiosity was now roused. "A-ano, where's your brother n-"

"Kyoko! Time to re-shoot the scene!" The director, Fukumoto called out over the crowd. Kyoko quickly got up in a rustle of silk and shouted, "Coming!" before she faced Tsuna.

"It was a nice chat with you, Tsuna-san." And she was gone amid the bustle. Tsuna sighed and slowly got up. Well, there was nothing more to do and he had the feeling that he wouldn't be needed for any more jobs here. So, he decided to explore the other old samurai manors a bit more since he didn't get the chance to come here in the first few days of arrival. Tsuna left the tray on a table and started walking to the empty main road.

* * *

Tsuna observed that it was much quieter here, save for the rustling of the leaves in the slight breeze and the chirping of birds. No one else was present in this small open garden of the Odano House located near the Yoko-machi Intersection. Vivid red and brown leaves were scattered on the grass and nearby, he could see a shaded walkway that led to another traditional samurai manor, the Kawarada House, if he remembered correctly. Relishing the serene and beautiful environment, Tsuna laid down in the cool shade of a sakura tree away from the gate. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep, his chores of the day having worn him out.

"Young man, shouldn't you be at home in your bed?"

A gravelly voice spoke from somewhere above him. Not fully conscious yet, Tsuna sort of rolled onto his side and pushed himself upright. The feel of the dirt and leaves crunching beneath his hands and the survival instincts that Reborn had drilled into him finally roused him awake instantaneously.

"Ack! I'm so sorry!"

Tsuna jumped up from the ground and noticed that it was already evening and there was an elderly man in a formal kimono in front of him. He was wearing a pair of geta sandals and used a wooden cane with an handsome metal handle to support himself. The elderly man had bushy white eyebrows that sheltered observant eyes milky with age and his wrinkles were like the grooves in the bark of a tree. He was quite amused by Tsuna's flustered state.

"I-I didn't mean to sleep here at all! The garden was just so pretty and…um."

His words trailed off as Tsuna realized that there was no way to explain or excuse the fact that he'd fallen asleep, trespassing on someone else's property. Tsuna hanged his head, his ears burning with embarrassment.

"Hahaha, don't worry. I often receive many people coming into this little garden but never have any of them stayed as long as you have. I was just on my way home for dinner in fact. Are you hungry?"

The elderly man smiled broadly, his wrinkles on his face becoming more pronounced. Surprised, Tsuna waved his hands,

"Oh no, that's too much of an imposition on you, sir. I'll be getting dinner back at the hotel with the rest of the crew anyway…"

The old man frowned; his bushy white eyebrows making him appear rather fearsome. His deep voice became a growl as he waved his cane threateningly.

"The crew? Are you referring to the rowdy crowd that keeps moving in and out of the Aoyagi grounds, making such a racket at all hours that I can't catch a decent wink of sleep? THAT crew?!?"

Tsuna shrunk and took a step back in the face of the old man's ire and to avoid the wild swings of the cane. The old man's face was turning puce red at a rapid pace and it looked like he was going to get an aneurysm. He offered some placating words,

"I'm sorry that they've disturbed your neighbourhood… They're only doing their job as they're filming a new production, "My Girlfriend's a Yakuza". And well, the Aoyagi Manor is quite impressive and the whole of Kakunodate is just perfect! I would have liked to see it in spring."

Tsuna shyly smiled. The old man grunted and firmly planted his cane in the ground with a solid thump.

"Humph. I guess…if they're making a new film using my property, I can let it go this time. My foolish, unreliable descendants never tell me anything! I may be out of the picture but I'm still the one to decide whether such things happen or not..."

The old man turned away and tottered towards the sheltered walkway to the Kawarada House.

"Young man, are you coming with me to have dinner?"

The old man tapped the ground impatiently, rousing Tsuna from his shock upon realizing the stranger's identity. Tsuna hastily followed the old man who was actually Aoyagi Hisashi, the reclusive patriarch of the immensely powerful Aoyagi family which controlled the entire Akita prefecture and had close ties with the government and even the Yakuza. Tsuna wondered just what he had gotten himself into?!?

* * *

"Taidaima!"

Hisashi declared boisterously as he removed his geta sandals and entered the spacious meeting room of the Kawarada House. By the time they had reached the house, it was already dark and Tsuna's stomach was growling at him in protest. Following Hisashi into the house, Tsuna unconsciously noticed the entrances and exits of the house and even drew up mental blue-prints of the entire layout - a habit ingrained into him from the several ambushes Reborn always liked to set upon him. He also observed that while the Kawarada House was smaller than the Aoyagi Manor, it looked more welcoming and "lived-in" thanks to the presence of personal knick-knacks that were scattered around the spacious tatami-lined rooms of the house.

"Okaerinasai, tou-san!"

A woman that appeared from behind a _fusuma_ was not much older than Nana. She was pretty in the traditional sense- long black hair (_that now had a few grey streaks_) bound neatly in a bun secured with a hair pin, almond-shaped brown eyes set in an oval face and a small rosebud mouth. Her age showed in the faint lines at the corner of her eyes and lips. She was surprised to see Tsuna behind him. Narrowing her eyes and biting her lower lip in consternation, the woman sighed and complained,

"Tou-san! You never told me that you were bringing a guest over! I'm afraid that there might not be enough food for all of us. Next time, do let me know ahead of time!"

"Kimiko-chan, don't you fret! We both know very well that you and my dear Amaya-chan always prepare more than what the whole family can eat especially when we have gatherings. This young lad here will not want for any food in your good company."

Kimiko frowned as she folded her hand into the sleeves of her grey and egg-shell blue _furisode_.

"Still…" "Erm, Aoyagi-san?" Tsuna cautiously addressed the lady in front of him.

"I…it's ok really. I didn't originally intend to impose on your hospitality… _Yoroshiku Onegaimashu_!" Tsuna bowed deeply, not wanting to offend either Hisashi or Kimiko.

"Oh no, it's fine! Just come in and we'll treat you to good food! It's pretty late and it's going to be cold too, so we can't just kick you out. Especially not after Tou-san dragged you in."

Kimiko chuckled as she allowed herself to be mollified by the charming and polite young man. She turned and walked into the room where she came from.

"Heh. Kimiko-chan already likes you. I knew my instincts were right about you, my boy! Let's have dinner, shall we?"

Tsuna nodded as he followed Hisashi into the room, the sound of his cane tapping on the tatami mats echoing in the spacious house.

* * *

_"Wow!"_

Tsuna had never seen so many important and well-known people clustered together under one roof in his life before. He could recognise some of them as important politicians, others as rich tycoons and perhaps even a few celebrities. In the presence of such luminaries, Tsuna was in nervous sweat, wondering how exactly he had gotten himself into such an uncomfortable situation. Reborn had not finished prepping him for such cases yet!

"Hisashi-sama! You're late! We were almost on the verge of eating our shoes before you got back!"

A rakish young man a couple of years older than Tsuna pushed his way through the crowd until he was in front of the newcomers. He had a pleasant face and he appeared similar to Kimiko. Unlike Hisashi and Kimiko, he wore modern clothes; blue jeans and white shirt with a black jacket thrown on top. He grinned at Hisashi and waggled his eyebrows at Tsuna.

"Who's this stranger? A new relative to add to our brood?"

Hisashi laughed and whacked the man in his shin with his sturdy cane. Kimiko clucked her tongue in disapproval though her eyes were twinkling in humour.

"Don't be silly, Hachiro! He's my guest and y'all better treat him good, you hear me? Or else, you'll get a whack of my cane on your bony shins!"

"Tou-san, don't break your cane needlessly on my dear foolish son's legs!" Tsuna raised both eyebrows at the revelation. He should have seen this one coming.

Jumping on leg in agony, Hachiro yelled, getting the attention of the entire crowd.

"Ok, ok! We got it! But we never got his name either!"

Then all the eyes in the entire room fixated on Tsuna. He fought the urge to hide behind Hisashi's substantial body and faced their gazes head-on with an anxious smile that unfortunately came out looking more like a grimace. Hisashi also looked at Tsuna and realized with a hearty guffaw,

"Oh, I forgot! I never got your name too, young man! What's your name? Hahahaha!"

"I'm…I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi. It's nice to meet you and thank you for letting me in on your family gathering."

Tsuna bowed again and when he stood up, the entire room was silent as a tomb, such that one could have heard a pin fall. Tsuna gulped, scary scenarios coming to the fore of his mind.

"Ahem."

Hisashi cleared his throat and tapped the floor once with his cane. In an instant, the room was back to normal with the exception of Hisashi, Kimiko, Hachiro and Tsuna. Kimiko and Hachiro were both sending Tsuna appraising looks as Hisashi became serious and clarified,

"You are Sawada Tsunayoshi, yes?"

"Y-yes, sir. I am Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Your father wouldn't be Sawada **Iemitsu**, by chance?"

"Y-yes? My father is Sawada Iemitsu…" Tsuna wondered why Hisashi seemed so _intense_ in wanting to know who he was and what did his father have to do with the Aoyagi family anyway? Tsuna was quite surprised when Hisashi's wrinkled face cracked into a broad smile and he clasped him in a rough embrace.

"It's a great honour to meet you, son of Sawada Iemitsu! I never repaid your great father the debt after he saved my grandson from an assassination ten years ago. He disappeared off into the sunset like one of the dashing heroes of yore before we could do anything."

"Uh."

"Whoa…it's really great to meet you, Sawada-san! I want to thank your dad for saving me from the Kokuyo bastards! Where is he now?"

Hachiro piped in with an awed expression on his face. Tsuna felt disconcerted when he realised the symptoms of a crush in Hachiro's expressive face. His eyes were sparkling like an eager puppy. Ew, that was his father, for crying out loud! His thoughts were derailed when Kimiko took Tsuna's hand in her warm and soft grasp. She murmured,

"So that's why I thought you were familiar…I, the mother of Hachiro-kun, must also take this opportunity to thank your father. Where is he?"

"Uh."

Tsuna was completely befuddled for words. What had his father been doing ten years ago in Kakunodate and why hadn't he contacted his _FAMILY_ all this while?!? Tsuna felt his deeply buried resent spring to the surface, he'd thought that his father was dead for many years and it turned out that he had been gallivanting around, doing _god-knows-what_! He put on a smile that forced him to squint; hiding his true feelings as he honestly replied,

"I'm sorry but I don't know where he is now. I lost contact with him and have never seen him for twenty years till today. I'm really sorry."

Hachiro slumped into dejection as Kimiko reluctantly released Tsuna's hand. Hisashi's wrinkles became more pronounced as he frowned at the news.

"That's… rather unfortunate, my boy." Tsuna simply shook his head and apologetically replied,

"I'm sorry to ruin the mood of this family gathering…I think I'm probably not welcome anymore so IthinkI'lltakemyleavenow…" Tsuna started for the door…and was yanked back by the collar of his shirt.

**"G-ack!"**

"Listen, my boy! I invited you into my abode and you shall not leave until I say so! You are not indeed unwelcome here! As the son of my grandson's saviour, all the more you should let us treat you to our hospitality!"

Hisashi thundered, the Aoyagi patriarch finally showing his true might and power. Tsuna froze with a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face. Hisashi then smiled, the scary patriarch transforming into a genial, old man. Hachiro grinned and pushed the startled Tsuna towards the delicious spread of food.

"Come on! What the old man says, it's law in our household. You might as well enjoy yourself, Sawada-san!" Tsuna bit his lip in disquiet before relenting with a weary sigh. His stomach was going to stage a protest soon and he doubted that he would be able to get dinner elsewhere at this time.

"…Ok."

"Great!"

* * *

Much, much, much later, when most of the Aoyagis had left the household, Tsuna found himself sipping a cup of the best Junmai-shu sake the Aoyagis had. It was sweet without being cloying and Tsuna was rapidly becoming inebriated. It was starting to feel rather warm and muggy in here. He put the cup down beside Hachiro's and unbuttoned his collar. He vaguely remembered that he had to go back soon and check on Kyoko but man, was the sake _gooooood_! With a goofy grin, he questioned Hachiro,

"So, my father saved your life ten years ago? It was the-the Kokuyo…?"

Fortunately, his inebriation didn't affect his speech enough such that he slurred his words. However, Hachiro was worse off. He tried to prop his head up from the table but he kept missing the table with his left elbow and almost brained himself, thus wasting the honoured Iemitsu's efforts ten years ago. He slurred,

"'E Ko-ko-kofuya, wait no, the Kokuyo bashards! Yeshh, thash rite. The Kokoyo Yakuza nabbed me from the Aoyagi Manor and were banging loudly for a ranshoooommm…"

***Thunk***

Hachiro slumped onto the table with a silly grin on his face, drool pooling beneath his left cheek. Tsuna raised an eyebrow and without a second thought, upended his cup of sake on Hachiro. Damn, what a waste of the best sake he'd ever had. But it worked. Hachiro roused himself and searched for the next words as he nonchalantly rubbed the saliva off his cheek with his hand.

"Ah-yesh…I wash really really schared, wet my pants too and it sheemed like I wash gonna die when the ranshom didn't appear like the Kokuyo bashards waaaannted…since the old man washn't gonna give in that easy...! If he wash going to give a ranshom, it would be the ranshom of the Kokuyo bashards' heads sherved on a shiiiinnnny shiiilveeeer platter. AND THEN! BAM! In came your pa, all heroic like, shtanding in the door with the light behind him like a halo. He'd handily knocked 'em down, going all _**ORAORAORAORA**_ on their arses and quickly grabbed me. Dumped me on his shoulder and then, poof! I wash gone from their grasp and the Kokuyo bashards never tried to attack me again. Your pa was rockin'~ YO!" Hachiro made a rock-out gesture with is free hand with the fervent passion of a zealot.

***THUNK* **Hachiro toppled backwards in his excitement and fell unconscious with a happy grin.

"…Riiiighht." Tsuna contemplated his empty cup and took the sake bottle and tried to pour himself another cup. Only a few drops came out. Tsuna stared glumly at the bottle and really felt the urge to cry.

"Why's all the sake _**gone**_?"

* * *

**  
**

**Glossary**

**Aoyagi Manor -** An actual samurai manor that has been around for many centuries in Kakunodate, AKita prefecture. While the place exists, the Aoyagi clan described here is fictional.

**Kakunodate -**A town in Akita prefecture well known for its Sakura trees lining the walkways and its well-preserved samurai houses and merchant district dating from the Edo period. Apparently, it appears quite beautiful during spring when the sakura trees are in bloom.

**Fusuma** – The traditional sliding doors of a Japanese household. Usually made out of light bamboo and rice-paper. Damn easy to damage/eavesdrop.

**Tatami** – oh come on, you should know this by now! It's the mats that are often used as flooring in Japanese households. They're usually made from hemp.

**Furisode** - There are many types of kimonos and this is the most common type.

**Geta**-Traditional japanese sandals made from wood. The well known character, Jiraiya from Naruto wears them.

**Junmai-Shu **- Pure rice sake. I wasn't so surprised that there are many types of sake but I was surprised by the complexities involved. It's quite interesting how sake in manufactured and graded.

**Taidaima** - I'm back.

**Okaerinasai** - The more formal form of "Okaeri". Basically means "Welcome back."

**Yoroshiku Onegaimaishu** - Please look after me.


	14. Hook, Line, and Sinker

**Title:** Hook, Line, and Sinker

**Author:** Ofphenwa

**Summary:** Reborn goes fishing.

* * *

**Hook, Line, and Sinker**

"_Uuurrghhhh…_"

Tsuna heaved into the porcelain bowl, his knuckles white from clutching at the sides for a good half an hour. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut to block out the dim light in the bathroom. Very slowly and gently, Tsuna stood up unsteadily, wincing as each slight movement caused his nausea and throbbing migraine to rise. He flushed the toilet bowl and staggered over to the sink to freshen himself. Tsuna caught sight of his reflection and muttered,

"Holy...I look like bloody hell."

His eyes were bloodshot and swollen with purplish-blue rings around them. He was an unhealthy shade of grey and his hair was a bird's nest. Tsuna sighed, biting his tongue to keep from cursing a blue streak like Gokudera as his migraine revived with a vengeance. Tsuna's reflection turned green and slapped his right hand over his mouth. In the next moment, Tsuna dived for the white throne so fast that he would have turned Usain Bolt green with envy.

"BLARRRGHHHH....!!!"

Tsuna took leave that day and swore to never, ever, ever touch another drop of sake again.

* * *

"Where's Tsuna-kun?"

Kyoko joined Hana at the table, puzzled to see only Kurosawa Hana and a visibly empty chair. At another table, the director Fukumoto looked up from her food and her plans for the day briefly and wiggled her fingers at her in greeting. Kyoko smiled and waved back as she sat beside Hana. Hana answered her with a bemused tone and a chagrined expression,

"Tsuna's down with a hangover of all things. I always thought he wouldn't be the type to... God, I'm so giving him a piece of my mind afterwards!"

Hana stabbed a sausage viciously with her fork, punctuating her anger. Kyoko calmly sliced her omelette and had a bite. She chewed and swallowed before suggesting,

"Indeed, it's not in Tsuna's nature to drink. He's also very obliging so...perhaps, it's very likely that he was forced to drink with some of the other workers here. Don't jump to conclusions too quickly, Hana."

"Kyoko. You're too forgiving. Even if it may not be Tsuna's fault, it's still his responsibility to make sure that he's fit to look after you! After all, he's supposed to be your secret bodyguard? I still don't understand why you picked him, Kyoko!"

Kyoko shot Hana a warning glance, her normally cheerful visage gone. In a firm tone and, Kyoko asserted,

"Hana. Thank you for your concern but even bodyguards need rest. Tsuna has been very helpful not only to me but to the other staff here as well. He deserves a break for his hard work. Secondly, you don't have to understand why I chose him but this does not mean that you can think ill of his capability to perform his duties well. He has also been a good friend."

Hana was taken aback by the unexpected show of temper from the usually calm and cheerful Kyoko. She didn't say anything for a few minutes as she frowned and thought hard on Kyoko's words. Hana grudgingly conceded,

"I'm sorry for offending you, Kyoko. I didn't realise that you see Tsuna as a friend. I'll try to be less harsh on him."

"Thank you, Hana. Your concern is duly noted."

Hana smiled wryly and quipped,

"You seem to be getting into Akemi's character already."

"HANA!"

Kyoko slapped Hana's shoulder lightly as she snorted in an unladylike fashion. They looked at each other and finally broken down into giggles and guffaws, drawing the attention of other people in the canteen.

* * *

Since Tsuna was called away to Kakunodate, Reborn had stayed put, despite his misgivings about Tsuna's safety. It would have been very difficult to explain away his presence at the filming sets and Nana would make a huge fuss over his absence. Reborn had to trust in Tsuna's ability to look after himself; especially after all the days of careful coaching Reborn had given him. Reborn also hoped that after Gokudera Hayato aka _Bomba Fumante_'s failure, no other assassin would come seeking the hefty bounty on Tsuna's head since Gokudera was after all, one of the better and well-known mercenaries around in the Mafia. If someone that big failed, it was a big fat red sign that Tsuna was (_supposedly_) untouchable and would fuck your shit up (_…fat chance_).

But still, no one got to live very long in the mafia if you didn't become bat-shit paranoid, even more so with Reborn's chosen field and Tsuna's dangerous position as the legitimate heir to the Vongola throne. Unknown to Tsuna, Reborn had placed a small transmitter in Tsuna's watch. The transmitter kept track of Tsuna's vitals and relayed the information back to Reborn's receiver disguised as his watch, via satellite signals. Giannini's work was superb. Glancing through the past hour's report, Reborn surmised that everything was ok and finally shut off the holographic display just in time as Nana swept into the living room.

"Reborn? Could you do me a favour?"

"Sure, Maman. What is it you ask of me?"

Reborn gallantly stood up from the couch in Nana's presence. Nana smiled and patted Reborn's head.

"Thank you, my dear. I'm going to buy some groceries and I'll need some help to carry the things back home. I'm not as young and fit anymore."

"It's my pleasure, Maman. Don't worry, you're still beautiful. Like wine, women get better with time."

Reborn piped, flashing an innocent smile at Nana who blushed and wagged a finger at him in faked remonstration.

"Oh, you charmer! You shouldn't say such things when my husband is around or he'll get jealous."

"But it's true, Maman."

Nana shook her head at Reborn, having become partially immune to Reborn's cute and charming ways. She got her purse and a basket before putting on a jacket. Reborn refused her aid in putting on his own dark blue hoodie. Secretly, Reborn was pleased that he was going out with Nana as it provided a good excuse to see Yamamoto Takeshi again. The young man had not been easy to approach these days after that conversation and Reborn didn't want to come across like a creepy stalker with a crush on his idol. _Please, _he's still a rational adult, albeit cursed to live in a child's body.

"Maman, can I see Takeshi-san at Takesushi afterwards? I want to ask him to play baseball with me."

"Tsuyoshi's son? Of course, you may! You've been seeing him so often these days now that Tsuna-kun's away on business. We can go to Takesushi later to buy some fresh fish and I can catch up with Tsuyoshi while you play with Takeshi. Is that fine with you, Reborn?"

"Yes! Thank you, Maman!"

Reborn hugged Nana around her waist, letting his accomplished success fuel his child-like glee. Nana hugged him back, her arms lingering around Reborn for just a few seconds longer than necessary.

"Well, we better get going or we'll miss the sale!"

Nana gently broke up the embrace as she reminded Reborn and herself of the sale. Reborn quietly put on his sneakers, looking at Nana's back as he thought,

_Iemitsu…You're not the only one who's sacrificed a lot…_

_

* * *

  
_

"Oh Sawada-san! I haven't seen you in a while. Here for some fish, eh?"

Tsuyoshi jovially greeted the matriarch of the Sawada household from behind his sushi bar. It was already after lunch hours so the bar was empty save for the newcomers and Tsuyoshi. His knife flashed as Tsuyoshi expertly filleted a Yellowtail fish on his chopping board. He chucked the unwanted bits into a bin and arranged the neatly sliced fish on a plate in a flower pattern. Tsuyoshi garnished the dish with shaved Daikon strands and wad of wasabi. He finally served it over the bar to Nana.

"Here you go, your favourite. It's on the house!"

"Oh thank you! You shouldn't have…"

"It's ok. I had a good business earlier this afternoon."

Nevertheless, Nana accepted the free dish and ate it with contented sighs. It had been a while since she ate fresh sashimi. Reborn climbed onto a chair beside Nana and placed his hands on the bar counter. He looked at Tsuyoshi and asked,

"Where's Takeshi-san?"

Tsuyoshi shrugged his shoulders and pointed his greasy hand out the backdoor. Reborn nodded and hopped down from the chair and walked briskly to the back of the store.

* * *

"Hello, Yamamoto-san."

Takeshi was sitting on his bed, holding a well-battered aluminium bat in his hands with a nostalgic expression on his face. He looked up at Reborn's quiet greeting and said,

"Hey, chibi. I heard Pops greeting a customer downstairs. Is she your mom?"

"My name is Reborn. And no, Maman is not my mother. I'm just staying at her place."

Reborn resignedly replied as he took in the various baseball-related objects in Takeshi's bedroom. To his interest, Reborn saw an old middle-school photo of Takeshi in a baseball uniform with the rest of his baseball team. Ah, Takeshi had been in the same school as Tsuna? That was interesting. Maybe he could get more information from Tsuna regarding Takeshi during his middle-school years later. Takeshi had kept his baseball bat when he caught his curious gaze at the aged photo. He explained,

"Ah, yes, I was part of the baseball team when I studied in Namimori. I was the clean-up hitter and pitcher for the team for nearly two years before I had to quit."

"You quit?"

"That's another story for another time, chibi."

Takeshi stood up and walked out of his room, shutting the door behind him. There would be no more talk of his short-lived baseball dream. Reborn muttered, letting his real annoyance at being thwarted from finding out more about Takeshi's past bleed into his words,

"My name is Reborn!"

"Haha, you're still a chibi, Reborn-chan."

Reborn rolled his eyes at Takeshi's back. That moniker was even worse. Nana was immersed in a merry conversation about their respective children with Tsuyoshi when both Takeshi and Reborn finally emerged from the back of the restaurant. Takeshi's ears pinked slightly when he caught what his father was saying about him,

"Ahh, Takeshi was quite popular in middle school. A lot of girls used to chase him but he turned all of them down flat. This continued all the way through High School. I was worried that I would never get any grandchildren until University. I was beginning to think he was gay."

"POPS!!!"

Nana laughed and politely greeted Takeshi,

"Hello, Takeshi-kun. I'm Sawada Nana, mother of your former middle-school classmate, Sawada Tsunayoshi. You've grown really tall since the last time I saw you."

"It's nice to meet you, Sawada-san…"

Takeshi obviously couldn't remember meeting her nor this "Tsunayoshi" who had been his classmate. An awkward silence ensued. Takeshi nervously laughed as his father shot him a displeased glare and threateningly wiped down his knife. Reborn saved the day by piping up,

"Hey, Takeshi, can you play baseball with me?"

"Oh, er, sure! Follow me, Reborn!"

Takeshi lifted Reborn and fled the restaurant, leaving Nana and Tsuyoshi behind. Nana sipped her tea and regretfully said,

"Oh dear. I should have known that Takeshi-kun wouldn't remember Tsuna. My son was so quiet and shy in school that he barely made any friends. I wonder if things would have been different for Tsuna if he had his father back then."

Tsuyoshi finished whetting his knife on the grindstone and raised it to his keen eye. He ran his thumb along the edge, testing the sharpness of the blade. It left a paper-thin cut in the flesh of his thumb and small red drops welled from the cut. Glancing at the photo that was hidden from Nana by the fish and the bar separating them both, Tsuyoshi offered,

"Tsuna is already an adult now…I'm sure that Iemitsu would be happy to know that he has grown up well."

Nana just smiled and her soft smile was as bitter as her tea. Tsuyoshi cursed Iemitsu mentally for leaving his family so suddenly and not contacting them for years, making them think he was dead. At least his wife was truly dead, leaving some closure for him, no matter how painful that was.

* * *

"Thanks for the save! Hey, since you live together with Sawada-san, does that mean Tsunayoshi is your dad?!?"

Takeshi was leaning back on the fence as he watched a group of middle school kids play soccer on the field. Reborn simply opted to sit on the dusty ground beside him. Reborn was taken aback by the assumption and found it really ironic. His laughter wasn't childlike at all as he replied,

"Goodness no! I'm not related to the Sawada family at all. I'm just staying at their place." _As well as training Tsuna for the position of the Don Vongola Decimo and searching out potential Guardians. _

"Just staying over, huh. Ok, what's Tsunayoshi like? It was kinda embarrassing when I drew a blank back there with the nice lady, Sawada-san. I made it a point back then to know everyone in my class but apparently, I missed one person."

Takeshi slid down the fence, the metal wiring clanking as he sat down beside Reborn. He was quite curious and Reborn was pleased to see it. However, he didn't feel like describing his pupil in detail to Takeshi as it was better to let others form their own impressions than rely on someone else's impressions. He deadpanned,

"Tsunayoshi is male. He is the same age as you. His birthday is on 14th October and he likes to eat Ikura sushi. He-"

"Alright, alright. You don't have to tell me all that! Geez, you sound like one of the magazines listing the profiles of celebrities."

Reborn raised an eyebrow at him and said simply,

"You can meet him when he's back from Kakunodate after his trip with Sasagawa Kyoko."

"Whoa, Sasagawa Kyoko? That popular gal in my class who used to date the Kendo Captain? She's now a pop idol, I believe?"

"Yes."

Takeshi whistled with amazement. He still remembered fondly how Kyoko had been the dream girl of many guys in Namimori Middle School and later went on to bigger skies as a household name with many popular drama series to her name. Takeshi occasionally regretted not asking her out at least once on a date but maa, it was all in the past now. His curiosity was really peaked now by Reborn's admission and he prodded for more information out of the strange adult-like child.

"So, this Tsunayoshi, how did he get such a gig?"

"He works as Kyoko's bodyguard because he lost his job and he had saved Kyoko once from being mugged in Shinjuku. Kyoko was happy to give him the job."

Reborn was amused at Takeshi's sparkling awe at these bare facts. He had a faint idea of what Takeshi must be thinking right now of Tsuna, his protégé. His work was now done and all he had to do now was to let Tsuna meet Yamamoto Takeshi and watch the fireworks. Reborn really wanted this guy to become part of Tsuna's Famiglia, especially after seeing his physical prowess several times during their short baseball games. Maybe later, Reborn could finally test him out in the true assassin's fashion with guns.

"Cool. I'll like to meet Tsunayoshi when he comes back. Let me know, ok, chibi?"

"My name's Reborn. Try to remember that, Yamamoto Takeshi."

_Hook, line, and sinker._

Reborn smirked and far away in Kakunodate, in the midst of upchucking and still hung-over, Tsuna felt a chill go up his spine. Shit, what was that infernal tutor of his planning now?


	15. Cambio Di Stagione

**Title :** Cambio Di Stagione

**Author:** ofphenwa

**AN:** Argh, finally got to access and upload this chapter, no thanks to the dodgy wifi. By the way, the latest chapter 16 is already up at my lj so hop over if you can't wait for the next update! :) As always, enjoy the chapter and comment whenever you feel like it. Concritwill definitely be appreciated and help me to write better.

_

* * *

_

**Cambio Di Stagione**

_Clack…Clack…Clack…_

Dagger-thin black stilettos that were wrapped around delicate, lily-white feet clacked in a measured, deliberate pace on the mosaic floor that depicted a fantastical ocean menagerie consisting of both myth and reality. Voluptuous, baroque curves of water nymphs shimmered in the clean sunlight of the early morning that filtered through floor-to-ceiling window panes while the darker and more colourful shades of dolphins and fish flickered like jewels in the unlit parts. Above the lady's head, the soaring ceiling was a marvellous specimen of _Trompe d_'_oliel _with its sky-like façade that seemed to show the way to heaven's door with haloed saints and angels frozen in a holy ecstasy. Though impressive, it was just merely one of the smaller rooms in the large and ancient castle, Casa de Amaranta.

The lone woman was dressed in an elegant black dress that plunged low to the small of her fair back, while modestly covering her front. As she walked purposefully, her long wavy red-brown hair swayed behind her, offering tantalizing glimpses of her back as well as mysterious black lines that could have been her Armani dress but seemed more like part of her skin. Her arms and legs were bare, showing off slim and toned muscles. Her face was beautiful – rivalling and surpassing professional supermodels; fair porcelain-like skin, sultry red lips, a straight aquiline nose and large heavy-lidded slate-grey eyes with butterfly-like eyelashes. However, there was a diamond-hard glint in her eyes and a predatory edge in her calm movements that hinted at danger that attracted men to her at their peril, like moths drawn to an inferno.

"Lady Bianchi. As always, it's a pleasure to see you, my child."

"Good morning, Father."

Bianchi de Amaranta, eldest child and daughter of Don Amaranta, legitimate heir to the Amaranta leadership, seated herself across her father. They ate their breakfast in companionable silence. When Bianchi was finished, she placed the knife and fork together to the side of the plate and levelly watched her father drink his glass of orange juice. Don Amaranta put down the glass and clasped his hands together, leaning forward on his elbows as he asked his daughter,

"My dear, you have something on your mind?"

"Si, Father."

"Go on. You have my ears."

Bianchi's lips curved slightly but her eyes were flat. She simply asked,

"Why is Gokudera Hayato not back yet from Giappone? He is too strong to allow himself to be defeated so easily without a word, Father. It has already been two months since he left."

Don Amaranta's grey eyes, a shade paler with age, were surprisingly similar to Gokudera's eyes in shape as he uttered in a terse voice,

"Gokudera Hayato is no longer Amaranta's concern, Bianchi. As the future leader of our famiglia, you should forget about him. Have you forgotten that defeat means death?"

"No, Father."

Bianchi tilted her head, her long hair falling to one side to reveal a large scorpion's claw branded in her neck. With a faint sly smile so reminiscent of her late mother, Bianchi gently reminded her father,

"Gokudera Hayato may no longer be Amaranta's concern…but blood calls to blood, you always declare. I wonder why we should consign him to oblivion when he is your son."

"Bianchi, Gokudera Hayato was never really my son in the first place. I cannot understand why you, my child, still care for him, when he is the bastard child of the Japanese pianist. If I had acknowledged him, you would have lost your claim to the leadership, for men will always have greater priority than women, no matter their birth order. So why, my dear Bianchi, do you persist in enquiring about Gokudera Hayato?"

Bianchi gracefully stood up from the table and her face was proud. She looked down at her father and answered with firm resolution,

"Because Gokudera Hayato is still my only little brother even if you deny your blood and sins against my mother, Father."

With that, she turned and left the airy dining room with graceful poise as her stilettos clicked on the mosaic floor. Don Amaranta's hands quivered and with a roar, he swept the plates and glasses off the table in a large, grating clatter and tinkling of broken china and glass. Then he slumped into his chair, rubbing a hand over his face as his thoughts crowded the cavernous silence of the empty room.

"Family, huh?"

* * *

"Aa-aaachoo!!!"

Gokudera rubbed his nose, blinking back involuntary tears at the overwhelming perfume his current employer wore. She shot an anxious glance at him and he responded with a thumb up to reassure her that her accompanying pianist was fit to perform. With a smile, the petit black singer confidently faced the lights.

"Let's welcome the jazz singer from New Orleans, Petit Oriole!"

Gokudera stretched his neck and cracked his knuckles. As Petit Oriole's deep and rich contralto languidly glided through the first notes, Gokudera started to play the piano for the second time in ten years, the notes sounding imperceptibly stiff and hesitant to almost all listening except for the singer and the pianist. But quickly, the musical notes began to flow naturally and rapidly from Gokudera's swift fingers. Petit Oriole smiled in satisfaction at her new pianist, the strange half Japanese and Italian man.

_Wasting my time…Resting my mind…_

* * *

"Taidaima…" Tsuna quietly said to himself as he unlocked the front door to his house. At this time of the day, Nana would be out doing grocery shopping as usual – especially on Fridays when the supermarkets would have big sales on. Tsuna idly wondered what they would be having for dinner as he shuffled into the hallway with a tired yawn. He was really craving for home-cooked food! It was one week too many on catered food at the Kakunodate film site. Tsuna was really thankful for the small reprieve as the production crew prepared to transport the delicate filming equipment over to the new filming location (which had not been confirmed yet).

A slight shift in the wind was his only warning when a glint appeared in the corner of his right eye. Tsuna automatically jerked his head back to narrowly avoid a kitchen knife flying at his face with a startled blink. The embedded knife quivering in the wall behind him, Tsuna crouched low and rolled sideways to avoid a deadly volley of knives. Finally reaching shelter from behind the couch, Tsuna heard Reborn say,

"Well done, Tsuna. It seems that you still kept up your training while you were away."

Tsuna sighed and straightened up from the floor, his elbows aching painfully from when he had dived for cover. Okay, scratch that thought – he_ really_ wanted to go back to Kakunodate far away from this death-training.

"Reborn? You do know that Mom is going to be pissed that her couch got shish-kebabed by her precious kitchen knives?"

Reborn dropped from the ceiling, flipping over onto his feet.

"Don't worry about that, it's already taken care of. You should worry about what will happen to _you_ next."

As much as his reflexes had sharpened, Tsuna still failed to dodge/catch the projectile that knocked him flat onto his back. Grabbing it away from his face, Tsuna finally saw that it was.

"_A_ _baseball glove_? Wha-"

"Follow me."

Reborn's stern voice brooked no disobedience or questioning from his charge. Tsuna raised an eyebrow and replied simply,

"Alright, Reborn."

* * *

The unlikely duo arrived at the Sports Stadium just as the sun set on the horizon, dyeing the white bleachers a ruddy orange. Being autumn, the nights came faster and colder as winter drew closer. Tsuna turned the baseball glove in his hands over, wondering exactly how it was going to be used in whatever training Reborn had dreamed up for him. Beside him, there was a bucket of baseballs. Was it going to be baseball tonight? That was weird.

"Put it on. You're going to be pitching tonight."

Reborn was bouncing a white baseball on his knee.

"Am I pitching to you?"

"Nope. The person you're training with should be here any moment… Aha!"

Nonchalantly, Reborn kicked the baseball high with his foot this time. As the ball hung suspended in the air, Reborn jumped higher than a child his size was capable of, and performed a perfect bicycle kick just as the ball started to fall, sending the tiny ball with shocking accuracy at the approaching tall man with a dufflel-bag over his shoulder, behind him. The tall man snapped his arm, easily catching the fast ball with a cheerful greeting.

"Hey, Reborn! That was a nice kick. Do you play soccer?"

"No, Yamamoto. By the way, this is Sawada Tsunayoshi, the person you've been wanting to meet. Tsuna, this is Yamamoto Takeshi, the son of the owner of Takesushi, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi."

Reborn shook Takeshi's hand, a comical sight since Reborn was so much shorter than the really tall Yamamoto. Yamamoto flicked his eyes at Tsuna with a surprised smile as he shook Tsuna's hand. Tsuna noted that his grip was firm and callused. Was he a pro baseball player – a batter to be more precise?

"Oh! It's nice to meet you in person. I met your mother before; she's a frequent customer at our place."

"Ah yeah…it's nice to meet you too."

Tsuna examined Yamamoto before him, thinking that he was somehow familiar. Yamamoto was about to ask him something when Reborn flicked a switch on his watch, triggering a flood of bright light onto the stadium grounds. Seriously, where did Reborn get such high-tech and most likely illegal equipment?!?

"Hey, Yamamoto, I'll like to play a game first before we get to know each other better."

"Haha, if that's the way you want it, Reborn."

"Good. We'll play a simple game of catch. You will pitch this ball at each other and catch it without dropping it. When it hits the ground, you'll a receive a penalty. Do you understand?"

"Yep! It sounds like fun."

"Ok, please stand over there…"

As Yamamoto walked away to the batter's box with a whistle, Reborn whispered to Tsuna,

"By the way…I advise you not to drop the ball if you do not wish to receive a nasty surprise. Good luck, Tsuna."

With a devilish smile, Reborn slapped the pale Tsuna on his back and stepped away from the field. Standing alone under the bright lights, he raised a pistol up in the air. A loud gunshot ripped through the wintry night, prompting Tsuna to fling the ball at Yamamoto in careless shock. Yamamoto caught it easily and kindly waited for Tsuna to calm down,

"Easy there, Sawada-san. Are you ok to go?"

Tsuna could have smacked himself for losing his composure at the loud gunshot. He waved his gloved hand,

"Yea-OOF!"

The baseball had smacked into his gloved hand really hard, knocking his arm back. The ball bounced high in the air, weightless for a moment before falling to the earth. Tsuna scrambled to catch the ball; the leather glove closing around the small object. Yamamoto was shouting an apology; something about ingrained reflexes but he wasn't listening.

"Alright!"

Tsuna shouted. The leather slipped and the ball dropped from his glove to land on the ground with a small thud. He instinctively cringed, expecting the ball to explode in his face. When he didn't feel pain, he stared at the innocuous ball with an expression that was mixed between confusion and irritation.

"WHAT. Did the baseball just slip out of my glove?!?"

"Haha, you caught the ball with your fingers instead of the net between your index finger and thumb. It's a rookie mistake that will lead to many fumbled balls. It was a nice try though, Sawada-san."

Yamamoto explained, using his own battered glove as an example. Tsuna sheepishly picked up the ball.

"Thank you. I was never really good in sports back in school anyway…"

Yamamoto swung to face Reborn and asked,

"Does that drop count as a penalty for Sawada-san?"

Reborn didn't answer and after a while, a snore emanated from him.

"He's…sleeping, isn't he? _With his eyes open?"_

Yamamoto's voice was uncertain and tinged with amazement. Tsuna shrugged.

"Yes, he is. I guess that the earlier drop doesn't count." _Since the ball didn't go off or anything…_

"Alrighty, let's continue with the game. No point stopping when Reborn-chan's asleep!"

"_Reborn-chan_…? You seriously call him that!?"

Tsuna incredulously commented as he pitched the ball towards Yamamoto. Yamamoto caught it effortlessly and instantly threw it back,

"Yeah, it's kind of cute to watch Reborn-chan get all worked up. It's like having a little brother. Don't you agree?"

"Umm…"

Tsuna reciprocated the catch and throw. Yamamoto changed the topic as easily as he caught the ball, leather smacking against the white rubber.

"By the way, were you in class 1-A in Namimori Middle School?"

"Ah yeah...I was in that class. Why do you… Oh. You were in the same class as me?"

Tsuna now had a better idea of who this Yamamoto Takeshi was but the details were still fogged by a decade of wilful denial; he didn't like to remember those horrible years of his youth. Yamamoto chuckled.

"You don't remember me at all, do you? Never mind, I also didn't know you were in my class till I met your mother." _Just as well…_

Tsuna mindlessly caught the ball, the rhythm of the tossing and catching already ingrained in his body. The way Yamamoto spoke and moved were very familiar now; his mind coming closer to the truth. Tsuna watched Yamamoto get ready to pitch and in his mind's eye, a snapshot from the past overlaid the present.

_He was watching from the sidelines, his hands gripping the rake handle as the baseball game went on in earnest. He could hear the girls and boys cheering. A tall, handsome boy standing on the pitcher's mound was clearly the star of the game as he readied the ball and pitched a perfect, fast and beautiful curve ball._

"_STRIIIIKE THREE!"_

**WHAM.**

Tsuna went down for the count. Worried, Yamamoto dashed over to check on the fallen Sawada-san. Tsuna groggily stirred, his hand coming up to his bleeding lip where he'd bit it as he fell down. A red mark bloomed in the centre of his forehead, it was going to become a spectacular bruise later.

"Are you alright?"

Tsuna squinted up at Yamamoto and blurted the first thing that came to mind,

"You were the ace of Namimori baseball club! Then…you resigned barely halfway through the first year. Why did you resign when you were so good?"

Yamamoto was startled and a flash of old pain crossed his face. A wry grin appeared and he said,

"Well, it seems the ball didn't knock out the stuffing between your ears."

Tsuna frowned, rubbing his hands over his ears. There was a ringing noise…but he wasn't concussed so was it…the ball?

"Erm, is it just me or do you also hear a ringing noise…?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah. I hear it too."

"…OH SHIT."

Tsuna looked at the ball that was now covered with billowing smoke. He sprang to his feet and grabbed Yamamoto's arm to dive for cover.

"Is that ball _smoking_?"

**BOOM.**

An inferno blazed outwards in a self-contained radius of a few meters, fire shooting over their prone bodies with a sweltering heat. _Blessed kami_, this was seriously a DEATH TRAP. Thankfully, the fire dissipated quickly in a few seconds, leaving a charred circle on the grass. Yamamoto sat up, a bit burnt around the edges but unscathed and whistled,

"Awesome! I never knew they could make toys like that overseas nowadays! Reborn, where did you get them?"

Tsuna slumped to the ground in exhaustion. This was seriously too much for his nerves.

* * *

_Cambio Di Stagione_ - Change of Seasons


	16. La Costa Nostra

**Title:** La Costa Nostra  
**Author:** **ofphenwa**  
**A/N:** Hey, DOUBLE UPDATE! Aren't you LUCKY? Whew, I had to do quite a bit of research for this chapter on the La Costa Nostra and I took some liberties with inventing some new OOCs which have nothing whatsoever to do with canon but are big players in this version. I also had to do a lot of backtracking to ensure that I didn't accidentally create plot holes or contradicting information. I've definitely learnt a lot about Italy's various cities here and I hope you'll also enjoy this new chapter and if you wish, please do look up the names of the new characters and the cities! ;) As always, feedback is welcome. Buon Giorno! 

* * *

**La Costa Nostra**

"Enough! I've had enough of this crazy game! Reborn! Wake up!"

Tsuna's hair was frazzled and scorched. Smelling of smoke and gunpowder, Tsuna barely refrained from petulantly stomping the abused grounds of the Sports Stadium like a child as he shouted up at his tiny tutor in the bleachers. Since Reborn always slept with his eyes open, it was hard to tell the moment when he was asleep and awake the next.

Reborn blinked and looked around the devastated grounds before finally looking at the charred duo, one who was his frustrated charge and the other who was grinning like a child who had found a new toy. He observed that the bucket of baseballs was empty, indicating that the training of Tsuna's aim and reflexes was over. Though the other two thought he had been sleeping, he had actually been meditating to focus all his attention on the new recruit. Yamamoto's physical capabilities were very good indeed, in fact, almost too good for just an ordinary baseball player. Reborn wondered if Tsuyoshi had trained his son in the way of the sword.

Anyhow, Reborn couldn't bring himself to fully trust Yamamoto yet when he was still so closed off. He needed to know more about what made Yamamoto tick before taking him in. Having a loose wild-card would do Tsuna's bid for the Vongola leadership no good, especially one who had the makings of an exceptional assassin, even better than Tsuyoshi had been in his heyday. Unfortunately, bound as he were by the Acrobaleno curse and the ancient Vongola law, Yamamoto was now out of his hands. It was up to his young charge to bring Yamamoto Takeshi into the Vongola Famigilia and to know his future Guardians. Reborn tsked, rueing the day he donned the yellow ring. He could only select the best potential candidates for his naïve charge now and trust him to choose and gain their loyalty. There were still four more Guardians to go before Tsuna could formally challenge Xanxus for the Vongola leadership. What a lot of work he had to do…

"Well done, Tsuna and Yamamoto. We can stop now. I'm tired."

Reborn jumped down from the bleachers and dusted himself off. He yawned and sauntered off to the exit. Pity about the Sports Stadium though.

"Right, I should also get going. It's getting dark."

Tsuna commented to Yamamoto Takeshi who had collected his duffel bag and now zipping his baseball glove back into the bag. Yamamoto smiled easily and held out his hand. Tsuna took it and Yamamoto shook it firmly,

"It was really fun playing this game with you. It's a pity that we couldn't get to talk more, not after what Reborn-chan has told me about you. Maybe, when your mother comes round to Takesushi again, you should also come! Will you?"

"Maybe, I might! It would be nice to catch up with someone from the same school."

Tsuna also smiled back, liking the cheerful guy's personality. To be honest, he also wanted to know why Reborn had been so interested in this guy and hopefully find out why Yamamoto left the baseball club ten years ago, throwing away his bright future in pro-baseball. It was something he had to know – what would make someone the complete opposite of him in middle school, popular, handsome and athletic, lose everything? It was incomprehensible to Tsuna.

"Yeah. I think I'll meet you again some time… Yamamoto-san."

Tsuna reiterated, returning the firm handshake.

* * *

Loud applause roared in the night-club, shaking the floor and walls as Petit Oriole proudly stood in the spotlight with a happy and satisfied smile. She faced Gokudera and gestured to him to come to her side. With reluctance, Gokudera got up from the piano, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants as he stood beside the black singer .

"A round of applause for Hayato Gokudera's maestro performance!"

Applause grew even louder and with the spotlight still on them, the duo gracefully exited the stage. The loud ovations and cheers were still audible through the thick wood and heavy velvet.

Finally backstage in the changing room, Petit Oriole finally let loose and collapsed into a chair.

"Whoo! That was a rush, alright. You did a maaaarrveeelous job out there, sweetie!"

Petit Oriole's husky twang was joyful as she thanked Gokudera for his indispensable aid. The door swung open, revealing a tall and heavy-built black man with his left hand in a cast. Petit Oriole perked up when she saw him. The black man engulfed the tiny woman in a hug, swinging her around the room in celebration.

"Lil' Johnny!"

"Sistah, you were wonderful out there!" Lil' Johnny was Petit Oriole's younger brother and original accompanying pianist until he had sprained his wrist in an accident just a week before. Lil' Johnny gently let his sister go and faced his replacement with a broad smile.

"Thanks man, you really saved us. As promised, here's your pay."

Lil' Johnny fished out his brown leather wallet and took out an hefty sheaf of green dollar bills – more than enough to pay for a week's stay in a reasonably priced hostel. Awkward and flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and self-disgust, Gokudera brusquely took the money and stuffed it into his jacket's deep pockets. He gruffly thanked the brother-sister duo for giving him the chance and tried to leave before he foolishly threw the money back in their faces out of pride.

"Wait, Mr. Gokudera."

Petit Oriole's hand landed on his shoulder.

"What?"

The black singer smiled slightly and placed a small name card in his hand. She explained,

"My grateful thanks to you as well, sweetie. If you ever come 'round New Orleans, look this person up and tell him my name. He'll fix you up in a jiffy."

"…Sure. Thank you, Petit Oriole, it was a pleasure to play with you."

Gokudera filed the card away and was surprised when Petit Oriole affectionately planted a kiss on his cheek. She patted him on the shoulder and sent him away.

"Take care, Mr. Gokudera! I'll like to play with you again sometime."

"T-thank you, Petit Oriole."

Gokudera finally left the loud nightclub to face the wintry chill. The crescent moon was grinning. The lipstick on his cheek was still warm and sticky when Gokudera tried to wipe it off with minimal success. It smelled of oranges, eliciting faint rosy-hued memories of the happier times he used to play the piano while sitting in his mother's warm lap. Gokudera snorted and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with a flick of his customised silver skull-capped lighter. Why was he so sentimental these days? It must have been _"follia della luna"_. Gokudera flicked his cigarette at the moon in a jaunty salute, smoke curling around the moon in his vision.

* * *

Dazzling late morning sun reflected off the sleek curves of the Ferrari limousine as it cruised the empty and steep winding road as the timeless beautiful Corsican landscape of Calvi stood still. White limestone cliffs sparsely vegetated with brown centuries old beech and laricio pine forests contrasted with the deep blue ocean and lighter sky.

"We're close, sir."

"Yes, I know. I can see it."

As the limousine crested over the hill, the travellers beheld the magnificent Casa de Vongola that emerged from the surrounding forest like a dazzling white dream. Made from the very same limestone the three hundred years old castle now stood on, Casa De Vongola was the main headquarters of the Vongola Famiglia and had always been since the birth of the Vongola in the 19th century. It was sequestered away from the Mediterranean mainland for both security and traditional reasons – Corsica was remote and surrounded by deep seas as well as the traditional birthplace of many famed and powerful Mafia clans such as the Corleone Famiglia. Behind the ancient castle, the tallest peak on the island of Corsica, Monte Cinto loomed like one of the ancient Olympian Gods.

Today, Casa De Vongola was going to witness the largest gathering of the Mafia Lords from all over Italy. This was the annual La Costa Nostra meeting which was a well-known secret among the Interpol and other various government agencies. But not a single outsider had ever succeeded infiltrating this mysterious gathering over many years.

As the Ferrari approached the castle gates, the heavy oak doors studded with medieval gothic spikes swung open at the press of a button. From this point on, the Ferrari would have to drive through the thick Vongola forests on a worn road until they finally reached the castle. Casa De Vongola was surrounded by a deep murky moat that could only be crossed by a solitary drawbridge wide enough to support three cars abreast. If the passengers of the car looked out and up of the window, they could see turrets dotted with security cameras and smartly suited Mafia armed with sniper rifles monitoring the traffic of guests. Casa De Vongola was a formidable fortress.

The Ferrai finally slid in front of the palatial front doors and one of the security guards stepped in to open the doors for the guest and his bodyguards. He nodded a greeting and directed him towards the main hall.

"Welcome, Don Amaranta. This way, please."

The grey-haired man curtly nodded and walked into the castle with his two bodyguards falling in step with him. To Don Amaranta's surprise, they were not immediately ushered into the dining hall but were directed into what seemed to be the reception area next to the hall. There were five other guests who conversed with each other in low voices and drank from the generous supply of fine wines. Light hors D'oeuvres were provided.

"Juice and cookies before the big meeting, eh?"

Don Amaranta recognised the other men as the fellow leaders of their respective Famiglia and region. Don Giorno of Naples, Don Cavallone of Modena, Don Agnello of Venice, Don Tenebre of Rome and finally, Don Tarantino of Padua – together with himself from Milan and Don Vongola of Sicily, they formed the powerful La Costa Nostra that controlled the entire Italian underworld. Their collective orders would trickle its way down from the top of the Mafia to the dregs of society in dirty gutter alleys like the most sacred of secrets in a _"puttana annerite del cuore"_. From the bottom, these secret orders would ooze back to the top, this time, the legal offices of corrupt _polizia, politicante_ and _legale_ who wringed their hands and trembled in fear of the La Costa Nostra's pervasive reach which even the long arm of the law could not defeat.

"I wonder what's going to happen this time round, now that Timoteo's retired. I've heard that the new Don is Timoteo's illegitimate son. But eh, that's only a rumour so I can't say for sure."

Don Tarantino commented, smoothing down his fine grey whiskers. He was slender and had a genteel demeanour that suggested at his scholarly leanings. Don Agnello quirked his bushy brow and uttered in a growly voice that fit his bear-like appearance,

"But I thought Timoteo died of a heart attack?"

Don Giorno, the youngest of the group with his hair done up in ridiculous curls and outrageous clothes (that gay bastard), devilishly said with a flourish,

"Nay, my men have reported sightings of the lively Timoteo living it up in Amsterdam with buxom blondes. Randy codger, how does he keep it up at his age?"

Don Tenebre with his dark skin and hooked nose resembled a pirate with his scars on his face and one across his throat peeked over the top of his collar. His soft voice rasped through scarred vocal chords,

"We thank you for your information though much of it was not necessary to report. But, Tarantino does raise a valid point. We cannot be sure what the new Don Vongola will be like and how this will affect our clans and the underworld. Little information has emerged on this mysterious heir. Perhaps, Cavallone will know better since his clan is allied with the Vongola."

As Don Tenebre glanced at the person in question, Don Cavallone adjusted his scarf and handsomely smiled, twinkling summer-sky blue eyes complementing his silvery blond hair. His son, Dino the _"Impetuoso Cavallo"_ had inherited his good looks from him. He shrugged and apologised,

"I am sorry. I too am in the dark about the new Don Vongola's intentions towards the La Costa Nostra though my son did go to the same school as he. He apparently went off the radar for several years."

Don Amaranta finally chipped in his characteristic grumpy manner,

"Why are we standing here gossiping like old fish-wives when we'll all find out in a few minutes? But if you were to ask me, this new Don Vongola is a suspicious character – I find it hard to believe that Timoteo would retire without a fuss and leave the reins of the powerful Vongola Famiglia in the hands of a virtual nobody."

"Why is that, Don Amaranta?" Don Agnello questioned.

"Well-"

"Sirs, you may now enter the dining hall."

A woman with a black domino mask obscuring half of her face, interrupted. She was standing in front of the open doors with her twin.

"Thank you, ladies."

Don Tarantino graciously thanked the women. Foiled in his explanation, Don Amaranta hacked a cough irritably; giving the Cervello women a gimlet look as the Dons amiably entered the dining hall.

_Clown masks…that's new, they've never shown up at these meetings before._

_**Fin.**_

* * *

**Glossary**  
**Follia della luna**- madness of the moon  
**Polizia** – police  
**Politicante** – politicians  
**Legale** - lawyers  
**puttana annerite del cuore** – prostitute's blackened heart.  
**Impetuoso Cavallo** – Impetuous Horse (Yes, I know that his given name is actually Bucking Horse but I think that the Italians would call him by a slightly different version in their own language. I hope that you can forgive me this transgression against canon. Besides, it sounds so much better and less suggestive of his _other_ abilities in bed. LOL )


	17. Emperor Caligula

**Title: **Emperor Caligula

**Author: **ofphenwa

**Rating: **PG13

**Summary:** Emperor Caligula once disposed of his political opponents by inviting them to a banquet. He had the doors barricaded and when they were drunk and merry, he had them slaughtered.

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update. I was sucked into Star Trek fandom. Also, does anyone think that the manga is going a bit too crazy these days? I give up on trying to include the Millefiore in this AU. *flails* Feedback, as always, is welcome! :D

* * *

**Emperor Caligula**

The large dining hall was tastefully decorated with beautiful flower bouquets in bronze urns. The walls were dark mahogany, complementing the rich red velvet carpeting. Don Amaranta liked the vault-like ceiling the most – it was a picturesque fresco of the Sicily landscape with imaginary baroque angels resting upon clouds. The guests seated themselves at the large round obsidian table, their reflections distorted and blurred in the smooth jet-black surface. The chairs were heavy and solid, just like the protective presence of their two bodyguards behind them. One chair remained empty.

In the silence of the room, Amaranta approved of the absence of windows (it reduced the risk of snipers) and observed three anonymous mafia men standing guard at the main entrance which they just entered. The Cervello women had disappeared into another doorway at the side of the hall. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long for the mysterious newcomer to finally show himself. The small doors swung open with a pneumatic whine and the Cervello women emerged from the darkness, quickly stepping aside and standing at attention for Don Vongola to emerge.

Don Vongola was tall and had dark unruly hair. A vicious scar ran down his face on his left cheek and his eyes were brutally cold and dark. The successor was dressed simply in a suit and a long furred cape that added to his looming presence. Don Vongola Decimo's power could not be denied and the other mafia leaders acknowledged him as the new Vongola leader and part of the La Costa Nostra with slight nods. Before he took his seat, he swept his eyes over his audience and politely said in a deep voice,

"My apologies."

Then he finally made himself comfortable, leaning forward on his elbows and steepling his hands as he took his time familiarising himself with his new colleagues as they also examined him back. He was the youngest of them all and yet, he was also the most powerful in terms of what he now controlled. Don Tarantino finally broke the ice with a quiet observation,

"Now we're all gathered…Let's begin the discussions."

--

Tsuna wasn't expecting to run into Gokudera again on his grocery errand for his mother. Seeing the familiar figure ahead, Tsuna hurried over as fast as he could with his burdens to greet him.

"_B-Buon Giorno_, Gokudera Hayato. I haven't seen you in a while."

"…Your Italian sounds awful, Boss. Nice try though."

Gokudera was visibly surprised by the familiar greeting and he smiled briefly at his new boss. Tsuna sighed in disappointment. He glanced at the sign Gokudera had been examining and queried carefully to his volatile associate,

"You're looking for a place to stay?"

Gokudera flicked his cigarette and averted his gaze from Tsuna as he muttered resignedly,

"…Yeah. It seems that very few places want to sell to a foreigner at a cheap price while they sell to the Japanese at such a bargain. I can't keep living in a cramped hostel and I can't go back to Italy so I'm pretty much homeless. It's not like you can help me out, hmm?"

Tsuna frowned at Gokudera's defeatist words. On impulse, He shoved one of the bags into Gokudera's chest and said firmly,

"Please help me carry this back home. Then we'll talk further."

Gokudera blinked in confusion and Tsuna pulled out the most commanding voice he could muster,

"Now."

"A-Ah, yessir."

Gokudera meekly replied and took the bag from him without complaint. He was positively sluggish as the duo walked the familiar route back to the Sawada residence. Tsuna was alarmed.

_His situation must be rather bad, uh._

Nana was pleasantly surprised to see the nice foreigner again but on seeing Tsuna's serious face, she simply waved them to the kitchen where they deposited the groceries on the kitchen table. Nana ushered them into the living room, asking along the way,

"Thank you very much for helping! Would you like some tea? Coffee perhaps?"

Gokudera mustered up a genuine smile at the nice lady.

"Tea please."

"Ok. Be back in a minute~"

Tsuna perched himself on the edge of the chair and mentally thanked the fact that Reborn was at Yamamoto's place (again). He had the feeling that his presence would cause the crotchety Gokudera to clamp up about his problem and they would get nowhere fast. Tsuna suppressed a sigh when he saw that Gokudera had made no move to sit down. He pointed at the couch beside him.

"Please. Sit. Down. You're our guest, not my… _subordinate_ in this place."

Gokudera sat down slowly and reluctantly as if the couch had a bomb underneath waiting to blow.

Tsuna blew out the breath he had been holding in and fixed Gokudera in his gaze. He placated him,

"I don't really want to pull rank on you, Gokudera-san. If you're willing, can you tell me what your problem is? I'm willing to help in any way I can."

Gokudera fiddled with a loose thread on the hem of his shirt. He finally gritted out,

"I've been exiled from Italy…thanks to my former client, the one who ordered a hit on you. I've got no cash because my accounts have been frozen and I've got no place to stay. I'd rather not deal with the Yakuza if I could; there's always been bad blood between the Mafia and the Yakuza."

Tsuna nodded, finally understanding why Gokudera was in such a bad mood. He asked carefully,

"Have you managed to find any jobs yet?"

Gokudera's smile was crooked. He replied,

"Sort of. I play the piano here and there as entertainment and I earn enough to keep me going but not for renting an apartment."

Tsuna raised a surprised eyebrow at the fact that Gokudera played the piano professionally. A man of hidden talents…Tsuna summarised,

"So basically, you need to find a place to stay?"

Gokudera stiffly nodded. Tsuna rested his head on his hand and finally suggested,

"I'll see if my mother would be willing to accept another occupant into this household for the time being. You can stay until you finally earn enough to rent your own place. I'm sure she won't mind – she liked you the last time."

"I…"

"No buts. Or I'll have to pull rank on you, Gokudera-san."

Gokudera slowly grinned. It looked like that Tsuna was starting to act like a proper Mafia Don and it was going to be interesting.

--

_Plip… plip… plip…_

Crimson blood dripped sluggishly onto the velvet carpeting, indistinguishable from the deep red colouring of the velvet. The room was deathly still and quiet with the heavy coppery odour of blood hanging in the hot air. The magnificent obsidian table had been flung to the side and smashed into pieces against the stone wall. Bullet holes lined the walls and floor with occasional scorch marks and blood spatters. Dead men lay on the floor. The frescoed ceiling was still intact.

The chairs were miraculously upright in the chaos and in them, lay the deceased Mafia leaders. They had died in various violent ways – Don Tarantino had been shot twice, head and chest, Don Agnello had severe burns from electrocution, Don Tenebre had been ravaged as if attacked by a wild animal, Don Giorno bore no marks, having literally and mysteriously drowned to death, Don Cavallone was no longer pristine, slumped in his chair like a limp marionette – his tendons had been precisely cut before finally being offed with a gunshot. Don Amaranta bore a lasered hole in his torso so large you could see the chair through him.

La Costa Nostra had fallen to the Vongola Famiglia within a day and soon, ripples would spread through out the underbelly of Italy and the world. What terrifying power did the Don Vongola Decimo possess to so easily dispose the six most powerful Mafia leaders? No one knew save for the silent dead men lying in the trashed room beneath the gazes of angels.

---

Bianchi felt a chill go up her spine. Her father was not back yet and it was turning late, the shadows growing long under the trees in the courtyard as the light turned gold. Casting her eyes towards the general direction that Don Amaranta had taken, Bianchi almost did not notice a maid enter the room and nearly killed her with a flung dagger, so wound her nerves were.

"Knock on the door next time!"

Bianchi chided the trembling maid as she coolly plucked the dagger out of the wall. She twirled the dagger for a moment before sheathing it in its holster on her upper thigh. The maid clasped her hands in front of her chest and cried,

"Oh, Lady Bianchi! There is a delivery from the Vongola Famigilia waiting for you at the main doors. It smells dreadful and no one has dared to go near it to even open the chest. Don Amaranta is not back yet!"

Bianchi felt a dizziness overwhelm her for a moment. Straightening up, Bianchi let the icy cool focus of an assassin settle on her as she murmured,

"Very well, I shall go and see it. Please return to your duties and thank you for coming to inform me."

"Yes, milady."

Bianchi left the room with long strides, ignoring the household staff that clustered along the corridors with pale faces. She finally reached the main doors of the castle where a large chest was unceremoniously placed on the white marble of the patio. The maid was right, there was indeed a foul smell about the chest and Bianchi recognized the brown splotches on the grain of the wood to be freshly dried blood. She took a few seconds to steady herself before wrenching the chest open, expelling a toxic concentrated odour of rot and blood.

"_Mio Dio!" _

Bianchi clapped her hand to her mouth as she quickly looked away, controlling the urge to retch at the sight and smell. She weakly shut the chest with one hand and shakily, she stood up and drew herself up to her full height. With the barest tremble in her voice, Bianchi ordered the body within the chest to be prepared for burial. Her hands were sticky with blood that smeared off the chest. Bianchi felt cold as she realized the ramifications of Don Amaranta's death. Amaranta Famiglia was dead, save for herself and her estranged half-brother in Japan. The Vongola Famiglia was stained with the blood of the Amaranta and Bianchi's fury would burn until her father's blood was cleansed with the blood of the Vongola.

In her cold fury, poison dripped from Bianchi's fingernails onto the marble floor, a hiss filling the air as the poison ate away at the stone.

"_Lo voglio che lui morti!_"

But first, she had to inform Gokudera in Japan, which was also fortuitous for if the rumours were correct, Reborn was also there…

"Esso e stato un lungo periodo, beniamino."

--

**Glossary**

_**Mio Dio**_ – My god

_**Lo voglio che lui morti**_ – I want him dead.

_**Esso e stato un lungo periodo, beniamino**_ – It's been a long time, darling.


	18. Grave Conversations

**Title:** Grave Conversations  
**Author: ofphenwa  
Rating: **PG13  
**Summary:** Serious discussions about the past, present and future.  
**A/N:** I'm not sure if I handled the characters' reactions correctly...Feedback is welcome as always. :)

* * *

**Grave Conversations**

As predicted, Nana was positively giddy at the prospect of having Gokudera in the household for the time being – it was like having two sons. Nana decided on cooking an impromptu welcome feast for Gokudera and had banished both Tsuna and Gokudera from the house until dinnertime. Bemused, Gokudera faced Tsuna and commented,

"Wow, your mother is quite enthusiastic."

Tsuna waved his hand dismissively as he walked off in the direction of Takesushi. He wanted to see what Reborn was up to at Yamamoto's place.

"Well, I think that it allows her to pretend for a bit that her husband has come home after twenty years."

"Twenty years?"

Gokudera questioned with a confused expression; he had thought that Tsuna's father was supposed to be dead. Tsuna bitterly laughed,

"Yep. He just up and left without a word and the only thing that stops us from thinking that he's dead are the infrequent postcards of him in random locations around the world. I don't care anymore what exactly he was doing on the Pyramids in Cairo…"

Gokudera raised an eyebrow and pointed out something that never occurred to Tsuna.

"Well, your grandfather was the Don Vongola so…perhaps, your father was trying to protect you by leaving. It's highly likely that he is involved with the Vongola Famiglia. There's got to be a good reason why Nana is still faithful to your father all these years, if he was the dead-beat dad you described."

Tsuna's eyes widened. He bit his lower lip and turned away from Gokudera, not letting him see his face. His fists clenching, Tsuna gritted out,

"I don't care anymore about what Dad's reasons were! It doesn't excuse the fact that he left his wife and son alone for twenty years without even a visit or a phone call!"

Cokudera backed off with his hands up, realising that it was a sore topic for his new boss. He straightened up and formally apologised,

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Boss."

Tsuna slowly released his fists and breathed deeply for ten seconds. His shoulders slumping, TSuna faced Gokudera again with a faint deprecating smile,

"Don't call me boss, Gokudera-san."

Tsuna then looked out to the running river beside them and said to Gokudera,

"Well, I'm thinking of bringing you to Takesushi if you're up to eating some local food. Reborn will be there with this guy I went to school with."

Gokudera shrugged nonchalantly.

"Fine by me."

--

"Oh hey, Tsuna! Who's the fella with you?"

Yamamoto Takeshi greeted Tsuna cheerfully from behind the sushi bar. He was on shift today and a very busy one at that. Takesushi was quite crowded today for some reason. Tsuna squeezed through the crowd with a wary Gokudera trailing behind him. Tsuna replied,

"Hello. This is Gokudera Hayato from Italy. Gokudera, this is Yamamoto Takeshi."

Gokudera nodded in acknowledgement at the dark-haired sushi chef who was really tall for a Japanese. Takeshi grinned and apologised,

"Hey, nice to meet you Gokudera-san. I'll like to shake your hand if I could, but I'm kinda busy cutting fish."

The knife flashed quickly as Takeshi expertly filleted the salmon, impressing Gokudera. Gokudera replied politely to his boss's civilian friend,

"That's alright, Yamamoto-san."

Tsuna looked around with interest and couldn't see Reborn anywhere among the mostly female crowd. He leant forward to ask over the noisy chatter,

"Hey, where's Reborn? And why are there so many women around?"

Takeshi laughed and pointed at a group of squealing school-girls in the corner. Tsuna recognised their beige uniforms as the familiar outfit from Namimori High School. Tsuna mentioned for Gokudera to stay put at the sushi bar and walked towards the group to see what the fuss was all about. He had a faint inkling.

"Wow, you're so clever, Reborn-chan!"

One of the girls exclaimed as she finally grasped what Reborn was explaining. It was a strange sight to see a young child tutoring people many years older than him in Calculus. Reborn smiled charmingly and sweet-talked,

"No, you can be quite good if you put your mind to it. I merely gave you a new perspective."

"Thank you so much!"

The girl hugged Reborn and pecked him on the cheek. She got up from the table and with a smile, she waved goodbye to the group. Tsuna bemusedly walked up to the table and crossed his arms,

"I'm impressed, Reborn."

Reborn looked up at his charge with a neutral face but Tsuna recognised the frustrated glint in his large dark eyes. Used to his tutor's antics, Tsuna shook his head in mild amusement and informed him,

"Gokudera-san is staying at our house for now till he's able to find a place so Nana's preparing a welcome feast."

Reborn glanced over to the sushi bar where Gokudera quietly sat and quickly hopped down from the seats. He said to the girls,

"I'm sorry that I'll have to end the discussions. It was very nice to meet you, ladies."

"No problem! Will you be here again tomorrow?"

"Perhaps. Good luck on your exams."

Reborn saluted the girls as he walked back with Tsuna to the sushi bar. Takeshi grinned at the child,

"Smooth, Reborn-chan. You had those girls twisted around your little finger! You should work here as a waiter – you sure helped business a lot by attracting all those patrons."

Gokudera flicked an incredulous gaze at Takeshi who actually dared to call the assassin by that moniker. Reborn had given up on getting Takeshi to call him simply Reborn and grumbled,

"I just don't get their unique Japanese preoccupation with all things 'kawaii' and 'moe'? What the heck is 'moe' anyway? Those girls were just pretending not to understand just to spend more time around me."

Tsuna snorted at the cootie-adverse act Reborn was putting up for Takeshi's benefit. _Au contraire,_ Reborn loved the ladies. Gokudera blinked in confusion at Reborn, not quite following the situation. Reborn informed Takeshi,

"I gotta go soon. Nana's making a special dinner tonight."

"Ok. Oh and before I forget, I've got four tickets for the upcoming Tokyo Swallows baseball match! One of them is mine, of course, and the rest are for you two and Nana. Sorry about that, Gokudera-san."

Takeshi sheepishly smiled at the newcomer who simply shrugged, not really interested in baseball in the first place, anyway. Tsuna took the tickets from Takeshi in grateful surprise. He was actually a pretty nice guy to buy tickets for someone he only met recently. Tsuna questioned,

"Wow, thanks! But why're you buying tickets for us? We've only just gotten to know each other recently."

"Haha well, since we're old schoolmates and after that fun game Reborn came up with, we might as well dispense with the formalities, hmm?"

Reborn chuckled at Tsuna's groan at the memory – it had been awful. Reborn thanked Takeshi for the tickets and the trio then left the restaurant.

--

"Gokudera, what is your impression of Yamamoto Takeshi?"

Reborn suddenly asked as they were strolling along the riverside, prompting curious glances from both Tsuna and Gokudera. Gokudera cautiously replied,

"Yamamoto Takeshi is quite good with the knife…"

"Go on."

"He's quite tall for a Japanese and he has very quick reflexes – he was able to catch a plate from crashing to the floor behind him in a split second while he was still slicing the fish. His athletic build and tanned appearance indicates that Yamamoto probably does a lot of sports, most likely baseball from the earlier conversation. He is also quite friendly and is on good terms with Sawada-san and Reborn."

Reborn nodded.

"Very good. I'm pleased that Tsuna had the foresight to bring Gokudera along today because it makes it more convenient for me to tell you this."

"What?"

Tsuna looked at Reborn with a feeling that he wasn't going to like what Reborn said next.

"Yamamoto Takeshi is a prime candidate to become another Guardian of Tsunayoshi, much like GokuderaHayato."

"Why?!? Surely not him!"

Tsuna cried out in shock.

"A civilian?!"

Gokudera protested, not comprehending why Reborn wanted a civilian with no training to become a mafioso. Reborn calmly replied,

"Because, he is the last heir to the Shigure Soen Ryu. His father, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, is the current master and I used to work with him on a few missions years back. I can personally vouch for Tsuyoshi's tremendous skill though I cannot say the same for Takeshi since I have not seen Takeshi demonstrate any swordsmanship other than sashimi preparation."

Gokudera finally understood but Tsuna did not understand the importance of Takeshi's background, yet.

"Shigure Soen Ryu?"

"It's said to be the most powerful and efficient school of kendo with its swift and flexible strokes. Shigure Soen Ryu has been around since the Heian era and has only been passed down to worthy successors but there are few due to the nature of the destructive succession – only one can exist at any time. In order to be recognised as a new master of Shigure Soen Ryu, you must demonstrate the current eight katas flawlessly as well as create a new kata that surpasses the previous katas created by the seven masters of Shigure Soen Ryu."

Gokudera explained, impressing Tsuna with his knowledge. Reborn agreed,

"Yes. If Yamamoto Takeshi were to become part of the Famiglia, he could become a powerful asset. Now, do you understand, Tsuna? It's your responsibility to bring him in as the Don Vongola Decimo."

Tsuna shook his head, upset by the prospect of bringing someone else into his mess; someone who was completely unsuited to the Mafia. He looked at Reborn in the eye and said,

"No. I can't do that to Yamamoto Takeshi. I'm sorry…but I just don't think that he will want anything to do with the Mafia."

Tsuna was scared; he had actually outright refused his tutor-assassin who could put him through a lot of pain for this. Reborn eyed his charge, slightly surprised that Tsuna had actually disagreed him on such a serious issue. He acquiesced on realizing that Tsuna was serious,

"Very well, I will not approach Yamamoto Takeshi about this…but at the very least; as part of your duty, tell him about his candidacy as your Guardian. If he comes to you out of his volition, you do realise that you will have to take him in as one of your Guardians, Tsuna?"

"Yes. I understand. Thank you, Reborn."

Gokudera looked back and forth at the duo, feeling like a third wheel all of a sudden. Personally, he didn't really care whether Yamamoto became the new Guardian or not. Only that the new Guardian was worthy of the position and capable of protecting the boss.

--

The funeral of Don Amaranta had been a brief and solemn affair. The guests had already left, leaving large bouquets of white asphodel flowers strewn on the fresh earth. Dressed in mourning black, Bianchi was standing before the grave, staring hard at the chiselled words in the grey granite headstone.

_Giovanni Amaranta_

_1952-2020_

_Cruor Quod Chalybs Altum Nostrum Amaranthus_

"Blood and steel nourish our Amarantas… That's the motto of the Amaranta Famiglia."

A familiar voice quietly said behind her. Bianchi didn't turn around to greet the stranger. The stranger sighed and walked up to her side and introduced himself,

"Hello, Bianchi. I'm Dino from the Cavallone Famiglia."

His blue eyes were red-rimmed as if he had been crying all night long and his blond hair was limp and dull in the grey morning light. He was impeccably dressed in a formal dark Armani suit and sleek leather shoes. Bianchi looked at him with some concern. Dino added the bouquet he was carrying to the pile and commented,

"My father… Don Antonio Di Cavallone, he's also dead. So I understand how you feel."

"My condolences, Mr. Cavallone."

"But it's not only our fathers. Tenebre, Tarantino, Giorno and Agnello are dead too. Basically, all the La Costa Nostra leaders were killed by the Don Vongola Decimo. Everything's now different and people are still confused but the confusion will soon turn to competition for the La Costa Nostra positions."

Bianchi now understood why things had been so quiet lately on the grapevine in the aftermath of Don Amaranta's death. This was merely the calm before the storm. Dino ruffled his hair and spoke clearly, outlining his plans to Bianchi.

"I'm going to stay in Italy and try to stabilize the political situation among the clans and figure out what the hell the Vongola Famiglia is trying to do before the situation implodes and causes an all-out war through out the whole of Italy. We don't want that to happen ever again…"

Bianchi wished him good luck. Dino glanced at the woman and finally cut to the chase.

"But I'm concerned about you, Bianchi. You're the last of the Amaranta Famiglia and you can't be the new Don without getting married. What are you going to do now?"

Bianchi lifted her chin and said coolly,

"Blood calls to blood. I shall go to Japan and inform my half-brother if he's still alive. If not, I shall simply carve out pound for pound of flesh from Don Vongola that was taken from my family."

Dino lowly whistled at Bianchi's audacious words. She would not be swayed from her decision. He extended his arm to her and Bianchi placed her hand on the crook of Dino's elbow. Together they walked out of the cemetery in silence. Outside the gate, there was a car with a man waiting beside it. Bianchi let go of Dino and before he entered the car, Dino had a contemplative expression on his face. He quickly bent forward and brushed his lips against Bianchi's cheek and whispered,

"If your heart wasn't already taken, I would be glad to marry you so you could become Don Amaranta."

Bianchi laid one hand on Dino's face and kissed him on his cheek too. It was warm and was fragrant with jasmine, Bianchi's favourite scent.

"Thank you, Dino Di Cavallone. You don't have to worry about me. Go."

Dino then got into the car and the window went up, cutting off Bianchi's view of the man who had been closest to understanding her pain. A breeze picked up, rustling the bare branches of the trees and her long hair fluttered in the breeze like red fire leaping into the pearly grey winter sky.

Dino leant his head back on the plush leather seats and sighed. He watched the lonely figure diminish in the head-mirror and mentally wished her well.

_Buona fortuna, Bianchi._

**--**

**Glossary**

**Buona Fortuna –** Good luck


End file.
